Spiraling Steam and Boomstick Wood
by jitterygummy
Summary: Sixth year Rey just wants to win the next Quidditch match, but while brewing amortentia, she realizes she has feelings for a certain member of another House team.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Repost after I deleted this work from 2016. **

Rey tapped her wand against the light wood and watched blue sparks fly from the tip. The hovering broom in front of her shot forward and smashed into a bookcase. Books tumbled to the floor – except for the one with a penchant for hovering – and buried half the broom handle.

"I didn't think Quidditch involved running into bookcases," a drawling voice said behind Rey.

She turned to face a tall seventh year with short blonde hair. Her perfectly tailored robes were immaculate as usual, revealing the deep blue of their house. "Oh, come on, Phasma. No one will expect a Cleansweep to be able to go that fast. I just have to figure out how to ride it at that speed." A blonde eyebrow rose slowly, and Rey crossed her arms, self-consciously feeling her too-big robe slide down her right shoulder. "Just because you got suspended from the team for that stupid polyjuice stunt with Hux doesn't mean you shouldn't want Ravenclaw to win the cup."

Phasma's blue eyes rolled, and she pushed past Rey. "I don't know what you're talking about. Kanata just thought I could use a break from Quidditch."

Rey watched Phasma disappear into the girl's dormitory before she walked to the pile of books. With a wave of her wand, the books stacked up on the shelves. Rey glared up at the book that had begun to flap around the Ravenclaw statue. "Get down here."

A bookmark fluttered down and covered her eyes. Rey pushed it off and scowled. "Real mature for a book."

The book flew higher and rested on Ravenclaw's head. Rey huffed and picked up the broom, rubbing the sleeve of her robe over a scratch on the handle. She tapped the wand against the bristles and watched them straighten. Just because her robes didn't fit properly didn't mean she couldn't keep her broom in top condition.

The clock chimed once, and Rey jumped. She jogged back to the sprawl of her things and waved her wand. The broomstick polishing supplies piled into a box, and she nearly forgot to latch it as she snatched it, ran past the statue, and raced up the stairs to her dormitory. Depositing her broom and cleaning equipment on her bed, she grabbed her patched bag and nearly fell down the spiral staircase when she tripped on her robes in her hurry.

She was rummaging through her bag for an elusive book as she reached the entrance hall ran into a short woman. "Oh, sorry, professor!"

Professor Organa smiled up at her. "It's fine, Miss Smith. Loose something?"

"I think I left a book in my common room, but I don't have time to get it." The waving figure of Finn caught her eye at the end of the staircase. "I… I need to get to potions."

Organa gave short laugh. "The Ravenclaw riddles are a challenge when you're in a hurry. I was just glad Slytherin only had a password on days like that." She followed Rey's gaze to Finn. "I should let you get to class. See you in Charms tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you, professor," Rey said distractedly as she descended the stairs.

Finn fell in step with her, and she continued her rummage. "Hey. You're late. Something happen?"

"Just a run-in with Phasma." Rey sighed and zipped her bag. "Can we share your book? I think I left mine by my bed."

Finn nodded and held up the book clutched under his arm. "Sure. What'd Phasma say?"

"Just criticizing my broom and denying her involvement in that polyjuice potion thing. I still don't know how she's a Ravenclaw when she gets on better with all the Slytherins."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Right? I mean, I'm not a fan of really any of the Slytherins, but what they did to Solo was awful."

Rey nodded and pressed her lips together. "Those two would be better off having switched houses."

They fell into a friendly silence as they entered the dungeons, but Rey paused as she caught sight of a tall, dark haired seventh year slouching toward the stairs. "Hey, Ben."

Ben looked up from his shoes and blinked at Rey as if surprised someone would talk to him. "Uh, hi. Rey."

"Ready for the Quidditch match next week?" Rey flashed a bright smile, noticing the green sticking to Ben's shoes. He smelled like grass and broomstick wood; Slytherin must have had a practice that morning.

Ben shifted the bag across his shoulder, his pale skin taking a light red tone. "I guess so."

"Well, ah, try not to hit too many bludgers my way?" Rey's hand twitched as she nearly went to give Ben's arm a friendly hit. Finn gave an impatient groan next to her.

The red deepened on Ben's face. "Uh. Well, our strategy is to target your Keeper." His brown eyes widened. "Annd I really shouldn't've said that. Uh. Bye. Uh, Rey."

Rey watched Ben hurry up the stairs with a pang of guilt in her chest. She had last seen that red face in the entrance hall with rumpled hair, yelling at his apparent double that had begun to shrink and grow red hair. "Bye, Ben."

Finn whistled next to her. "Wow. I didn't believe Poe."

Rey gave Finn a look as they entered the potions classroom. "What do you mean?"

Finn set his potions book on the bench between them and unpacked his ingredients from his bag. "Ben Solo's got a thing for you."

Rey nearly choked on her own saliva. "Ben – what?"

Finn's lips spread in a knowing grin, and he took a seat as a weathered voice spoke over the general chatter in the room. "All right, all right. Today, you will be brewing me a batch of amortentia." Rey pulled out a quill and parchment and looked up at Professor Snoke. A wrinkled old man, Snoke did not appear entirely human. Rumors were that he had tried to circumvent the long process of becoming an Animagus with a potion. "I assume you've done the reading. Can anyone tell me what amortentia is?"

Finn's hand rose timidly. Snoke looked over the room with a bored expression. When no other hands went up, he sighed. "Yes?"

Finn cleared his throat nervously. "It's the most powerful love potion in the world, sir."

Snoke scoffed. "An incomplete description. Five points from Hufflepuff. Amortentia causes powerful infatuation but does not cause love. A notable feature is that it smells differently to everyone according to what they're attracted to." He paused and crossed thin arms. "You have an hour and a half to produce it. Perhaps you can make a better attempt than the Gryffindors yesterday."

He swept around the desk and sat down, watching the assembled Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs with an unblinking gaze. Rey frowned and flipped open Finn's book to the amortentia page. "Even the book calls it a love potion."

Finn shrugged and tapped his wand underneath his cauldron to start a fire. "Shouldn't've tried."

Over an hour later, Rey wiped sweat from her forehead and pulled off her loose outer robes, draping them over her bag. "Merlin's stars, it's hot in here."

Finn leaned against the bench and glanced at the book between them. "Says the ten-minute wait makes the potion hot enough to allow the unicorn hairs to do their job."

Rey nodded and pulled out the hairs to put in after their wait. "You're coming to the match next week, right?"

"Of course. Poe said he's gotta take notes on your playing." Finn popped an Every Flavor Bean in his mouth. "The Ravenclaw Chasers are the best in the school, and he's going up against you next month."

Rey hit Finn's arm lightly and shot a quick glance to Snoke, who was watching the Ravenclaws sitting in the front row. "Don't let Snoke catch you eating in here." She smiled as her friend's words sunk in. "And thanks. We've been practicing a lot."

"You need to get past Slytherin first before you face Poe and the rest of Gryffindor, though." Finn shrugged and checked the fire under his cauldron. "But it might not be as much of a beating as they gave us, considering Solo will just keep watching you."

Rey groaned and shook her head, tapping her wand impatiently against her leg. "Look, we barely know each other. The only thing we have in common is Quidditch, and we don't even play the same position."

"Smith, ten points from Ravenclaw for being out of uniform."

Rey's fist clenched, and she wrenched back on her robe. Snoke loved taking points from everyone. The Ravenclaws had potions with the Slytherins the previous year, and it had been apparent that Snoke was bitter about Professor Organa being appointed Slytherin Head of House over him by how many points he took from her son, Ben.

Finn began sprinkling the unicorn hairs into his potion. "He still likes you. And you did defend him during that whole fiasco. You figured out that Phasma knocked him out and made him miss his Charms exam."

"Because she made it obvious."

"No, they would've gotten away with it had you not done your little investigation." Finn stirred the potion with his wand.

Rey grabbed his wrist and shook her head. "Book says counterclockwise." She let go and watched her own potion turn amortentia's signature pearl sheen. "So I helped expose Phasma and that jerk Hux. At least Ben didn't get the blame for vandalizing the trophy room."

Finn raised his eyebrows suggestively. "I mean, Poe didn't save me from massive punishment, but he still showed an interest before we started dating."

Rey rolled her eyes and set her wand down as Snoke called out, "Time's up. Bottle your potion and bring it up here for grading."

Spiraling steam rise from the pearly surface of her potion, and Rey dipped a vial into it to collect a sample. Finn took a long whiff of his potion. "Ah. Smells like Poe's shampoo." He grinned and glanced at Rey. "What does it smell like to you?"

"Grass, broomstick wood, and…" Finn started laughing as he brought his vial up to Snoke's desk. Rey followed him with a groan. "Bloody hell."

**AN: Thank you so much for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

"I hear someone's finally realized her feelings."

Rey set her goblet of pumpkin juice down and frowned at Poe as he plopped down next to her and leaned his back against the table. "Just because I smell certain scent in amortentia doesn't mean I have deep seated feelings of love, Poe."

Poe shrugged and plucked a piece of bacon from her plate. "I've been oh-so subtly asking N.E.W.T. students if amortentia smells like their significant other." He ripped off a piece of the bacon with his teeth. "All said yes. Well, all except Jessika, but let's face it, she and Ello aren't going to last."

The flutter of wings announced the arrival of the morning owl post, and a white owl with splotches of orange feathers landed in front of Poe. Rey took a sip of her pumpkin juice as Poe untied a parcel from the owl's leg. "I think Beebee wants some of your bacon, Rey."

Rey closed her book of broomstick spells with a dull thud and frowned at Poe. "Maybe I'll give Beebee some bacon if you finally tell me why you ruined his perfectly good feathers with a color charm."

Poe looked affronted and stole more bacon from her plate. "I've told you I didn't do that." Beebee's beak snapped as he gulped down some of the bacon. "I bought him like that. And I, for one, think it's endearing."

Rey rolled her eyes and watched the owl soar away. "So how in Merlin did you go about asking N.E.W.T. students about amortentia?"

"Said it was for an arithmancy project," said Poe with a smile. He stole Rey's goblet and took a gulp.

Rey snatched the goblet back and filled it with more pumpkin juice. Eating with Poe generally involved stealing food back from him. She was just glad Hogwarts always had plenty. "You're not even taking arithmancy."

"Nope. But your future husband is," Poe snickered around another bite of the bacon. He untied his parcel and opened the box nonchalantly.

Heat crawled up Rey's neck and cheeks against her will. Her eyes darted to the Slytherin table to find Ben Solo sitting alone. He slumped over the table, absently picking off pieces of a muffin as he read a book. The deep red of the cover poked past the edges of the pages, and Rey looked down at her own red book. She opened it to the middle section and compared the size to the book in front of Ben.

Shaking her head, Rey looked back at Poe and nearly slapped the smug grin off his face. "Shut up, Poe. It's not gonna happen."

"And who says it's not? You two obviously have a thing for each other." Poe sighed and leaned forward. "Once Quidditch is over, you could talk to him without getting hostile glares from the rest of the Slytherin team."

Rey scoffed and threw a chunk of her muffin at Poe's shoulder. "Once Quidditch is over, term will be soon after, and he's graduating. Just shut up about it."

Poe tapped his fingers on the table. Tan lines rested just above the second knuckle on each finger from his Keeper gloves. "Sounds like you're coming around to the idea, though. Maybe I can get you another whiff of amortentia to remind you."

"He's part of a legendary family. I don't even know who my parents were. I'm. Not. Interested." Poe opened his mouth to argue, but Rey snapped her book shut again and snatched up her bag. "I've got Charms."

Rey didn't look up as a throat cleared, and she tapped her wand against her patched bag. The seams pulled together again. She only needed it to last for the rest of term and her last year; it would be stupid to waste her limited galleons on a new one. Not that the discolored thing had been new in the first place.

The throat cleared again, and a tentative voice followed. "Uh, Rey? Could I speak with you for a moment?"

Rey glanced up through wisps of hair to focus on Ben Solo. Green robes poked out of flap of his bag, and he clutched a sleek broom in his right hand. His shoulders sunk inward, and he held his free hand around the strap of his bag, as if trying to condense his broad frame. Rey brushed the hair from her forehead and nodded. "Er, yeah."

"It's kinda late." Ben's eyes dropped to his feet, and he let out an audible breath. "But I, uh, wantedtothankyou," he said quickly. "For, you know, exposing Phasma and Hux."

An unfamiliar nervousness spiked through Rey. "Oh. Yeah. No big deal."

Ben chewed on his lower lip, and a flush reddened his face. Rey silently cursed Finn and Poe for picking up on something that she had really no experience with. The awkward silence between them broke as a steely voice sounded down the hall. "Don't talk to the enemy, Solo. You might _break _something."

Rey's grip tightened around her wand. Seven Slytherins traipsed toward them; six clutched brooms similar to Ben's while the redhead who had spoken held a book in a loose grip. Rey eyed the pieces of parchment sticking out of the book. "At least the Ravenclaw players are talented enough to strategize _and _play. What're you planning, Hux? Attacking our Keeper?"

Hux's already pale face whitened considerably, but he kept his expression impassive. "And why would you think that?"

"Seems like something an uncreative Slytherin would do." Rey tucked her wand in her robes and plastered a falsely bright smile on her face. "See you tomorrow!"

She climbed the stairs toward the Great Hall without looking back at the Slytherin team. Finn raised an eyebrow from where he leaned against the wall and muttered out of the side of his mouth as they entered the hall. "Hux is going to make what he did to Solo look like child's play if he decides to retaliate against you."

Rey shrugged and dropped her bag onto the Hufflepuff table. "I don't have any family for him to mess with, and I've proven that I can see through his little plans."

"You're too independent for your own good, Rey." Finn piled a Charms book and _Practical Defense Against the Dark Arts _on top of his battered potions textbook. "Hasn't being on the Quidditch team taught you how valuable working with others is? Hux knows you're friends with me and Poe."

Rey paused and bit the inside of her cheek. "The Damerons are too popular in the wizarding world for anyone to believe anything someone from a family that supported Palpatine." She sat down on the bench and pulled out an ink bottle and quill. "You and Poe are attached at the hip. You're basically a Dameron, too."

"Just be careful, all right?"

* * *

A droplet of rain sploshed against Rey's face. She glanced up at the cloudy sky and adjusted her grip on the broomstick with her left hand. Two figures in blue raced just ahead of her, and she dropped down as the red ball flew back to her. Her right hand closed around it, and she tucked it under her arm as she pulled her Cleansweep higher into the air.

"That's Teedo to Smith. Ravenclaw Chasers are looking good today, but let's see how they fare in this coming rain."

Rey rolled her eyes at the dramatic tone of the commentator and spared a quick glance below her. Her fellow Chasers circled underneath, fending off the Slytherin players. She ducked under an oncoming bludger and let the Quaffle drop from her grip.

"Smith to Ashla. These Ravenclaws are passing too fast for Slytherin to keep up."

Rey kept her height and let Teedo and Ashla speed up. The Quaffle flew between them as they played a game of keepaway from the three Slytherin Chasers. They neared the goalposts, and Rey shot forward.

"Looks like Keeper Bernany is ready to block a shot from Teedo. He swerves around Netal and throws it high!"

Rey caught the Quaffle as it soared up to meet her, and she chucked it through the middle post.

"Ravenclaw scores! They lead Slytherin 80 to 20."

Rey high fived Teedo and Ashla as she dropped down to meet them. She grinned at the assembled crowd of screaming Ravenclaws and pulled her goggles over her eyes to block the increasing rain. Turning her attention back to the game, she watched Slytherin Chaser Bala Tik's hands open in preparation to receive the Quaffle from his Keeper. Seeing her chance, Rey used her Cleansweep's newly charmed speed to race forward and catch the ball just before it met Tik's hands.

Rey spun her broomstick and tossed the Quaffle into the waiting hands of Ashla, who darted past the flustered Keeper for another goal.

"Oh! A Ravenclaw interception and another goal! Fantastic work by the Ravenclaw Chasers. Slytherin'd better up their game. And what's this?"

The crowd of Ravenclaw supporters groaned with the commentator, and the sea of green in the stands applauded wildly. Rey scanned the pitch through the rain and nearly missed the blue figure on the ground by the opposite goal posts. Her heart sank.

"Ravenclaw Keeper JJ is taken out of the game by a well-aimed bludger. Looks like the Slytherin Chasers will have a clear shot to the hoops if they can get by the powerhouse of Ravenclaw."

Rey closed her eyes for a moment. JJ was their captain and had already performed several excellent saves. She wiped water from her goggles and looked up to meet the eye of Ben Solo as he flew above her. His black hair stuck to his face from the rain, but she could see the distinct cocky grin dimple his cheeks. She watched him fly for a moment in a daze. His slouching form suited flying; he leaned over the broom to make him more aerodynamic, and he moved with grace through the air that he could not hope to achieve on foot. She swore she caught a glimpse of wink before he sped after one of the bludgers.

She shook herself out of her stupor and nodded to Teedo as they raced after the Slytherins. They did not have the passing skill that she and her teammates had trained extensively to achieve, but they had plenty of flying talent and had better brooms – the Nimbus class, a jealous part of Rey's mind told her. They chased the Slytherins across the pitch but failed to stop them from putting the Quaffle into the lowest goal post.

"Slytherin scores on an undefended post. That's 90 to 30 with Ravenclaw ahead."

Ashla retrieved the Quaffle as it fell behind the goal posts, and Rey looked up to see the lithe figures of both teams' Seekers circling overhead. They would have to utilize all their training to keep the Quaffle away from their goal posts, but she hoped their Seeker, Alho, would be able to end the game soon before the Slytherins overcame their lead or took the Snitch themselves.

Another half hour of playing, and the chill of the rain sank uncomfortably into her bones. Slytherin had managed to score three more goals to their one; Rey had not realized how much they relied on their Keeper.

She caught a pass from Teedo and sped toward the green dot of Slytherin's Keeper by the goal posts. The rain was heavy, and she wished she had time to pull out her wand and charm the lenses to keep them clear. She tossed the Quaffle to the form of who she thought was Ashla.

"Look at them go! This might be the end!"

Rey rubbed her lenses with the sleeve of her blue robes and looked around the pitch for the Seekers. The rain immediately covered her goggles again, preventing her from finding the racing players.

"Oh no! Move, Smith!"

Rey blinked at the urgency in the commentator's voice and looked up in time to see the Slytherin Seeker crash into her. She heard a crunch, and then the wind obscured all other noise as she fell. Her stomach flipped, and she struggled to move herself through the rain to spread her limbs out. The hazy ground came closer, and she braced herself for an impact when she hit something distinctly softer than the ground. The air rushed out of her lungs.

Her hearing returned slowly, and she barely registered the cheers of the crowd as a low voice murmured, "Are you all right?"

Rey felt her feet hit the ground lightly, and she lifted her foggy goggles to find her left arm around Ben Solo's broad shoulders and his arm around her waist. The heat from the previous day rose up her neck again, dispelling the chill of the rain. "Oh, uh, yeah." She extricated herself from Ben and rubbed her neck as her stomach twisted in embarrassment. "Thanks."

Ben lowered his gaze and got off his broom. He brushed the wet hair out of his face and spared Rey a quick glance before he moved to join his teammates. The Slytherins gave him a mix of nods and glares, and Rey noticed with a twinge of satisfaction that blood dripped from the Seeker's nose. Rey's fellow Ravenclaws surrounded her with yells and cheers of victory, but she kept her eyes on Ben's slouching form retreat from the soaking Quidditch pitch.


	3. Chapter 3

Rey pursed her lips and waved her wand in a complicated motion. The glass in front of her remained a frustrating color of vinegar. Concentrating hard on the spell, she shouted it her head and made the motion again.

"I think it looks darker?" Finn questioned beside her as he stared at his own glass.

"We could pass it off as white wine if it didn't smell like vinegar," Rey said half-heartedly. She looked around the room to see everyone glaring at their glasses. Poe, who was on Finn's other side, waved his wand erratically as if he hoped acting drunk would change the vinegar into wine.

"All right. Since everyone seems to be having trouble, please look up here as I demonstrate again. Some of you are unnecessarily flourishing your wands," Professor Organa announced from the front of the room. She pointed her wand sharply at the glass in front of her, and the liquid changed to a deep red wine.

Rey frowned at her glass and repeated Organa's wand movement as she said in the incantation in her head again. The liquid deepened in color, but she could still smell the pungent vinegar.

Finn looked over at her glass and wrinkled his nose as he took a whiff. "What's wrong today? You usually do charms in a snap."

Rey set her wand down and ran her hands over her face with a groan. "I don't know. I've been having trouble sleeping."

"Thinking about a certain tall, dark, and handsome Slytherin?" Poe waggled his eyebrows suggestively from around Finn.

"What? No!" Rey's voice rose an octave higher, and she knew she sounded more defensive than she intended.

"Suuure. And I'm not thinking about the trip to Hogsmead this weekend with Poe." Finn pointed his wand sharply at his glass again.

"I think it would do all of you some good to practice this Charm outside of class. Since we don't meet again until Wednesday, there will be a short practical quiz over today's lesson." The class groaned collectively, and Organa rolled her eyes as she waved them out of the room. "The N.E.W.T. exams love to test everything. Consider this advanced prep for next year."

Rey slipped her wand in a pocket within her robes as she slung her patched bag over her shoulder. Finn and Poe shuffled out of the classroom with her.

"Even the people who got Outstanding O.W.L.s weren't getting that. How does she expect us to learn it by Wednesday?" Finn grumbled under his breath.

Rey shrugged, her eyes following the path of a lone Slytherin walking down the staircase in front of them. "We'll just have to get the house elves to lend us some vinegar."

The Slytherin turned to descend the next staircase and looked up. Their gazes met, and Rey gave a little smile. Ben paused for a moment before the corner of his mouth slipped into a small smile.

"We should double date."

"Huh?" Rey tore her eyes from Ben and felt her face redden as she met Poe's wide grin.

"Double date to Hogsmead this weekend. Us with you and your boyfriend." Poe nodded toward Ben, and Finn snickered softly.

Rey shook her head and let out a slow sigh. "How about I just awkwardly third wheel with you two like we always do?"

"She's nervous," Finn fake whispered to Poe.

"I bet I can get Solo to come with us," Poe's voice dropped lower than his boyfriend's in a conspiratorial tone.

Rey tapped her wand through her robes and gave Poe her best scowl. "I swear I will hex you if you even think about meddling in this. And you know my stinging hex is good."

Poe rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. Sheesh, why you're not a Gryffindor I'll never know. I've got Quidditch practice tonight, so I'll meet you two at the empty seventh floor classroom to practice Charms tonight?"

Finn nodded along with Rey, rubbing his hands together as if planning something devious. "I can get us some snacks when I get the vinegar from the kitchens."

* * *

A loud crash interrupted Rey's soft humming, and she froze in the hall. Gripping her wand, she peered around the corner to see a small, transparent figure hovering near the ceiling. Small hands knocked over a second suit of armor. The metallic glove folded into a fist and shook angrily up at the giggling figure.

Rey moved past the occupied hallway. She would rather take a longer route to the seventh floor than deal with the poltergeist. Paploo especially liked to make up songs about her unknown parentage.

A portrait on the second floor concealed a passage that would take her to the sixth. She just hoped the password hadn't changed. Trudging down the dimly lit second floor hall, Rey paused as the second strange noise of the night reached her ears: a voice yelling and a weak one muttering a response.

She opened the door to a classroom and froze in the doorway. Professor Snoke stood at the back of the room, his already twisted and scarred face distorted as he yelled at the young man in front of him.

"I… No…" A clatter of wood hitting the floor followed the weak voice that Rey recognized as Ben Solo's.

"You disgrace. What worth would you have had I not taught you? Your still in Defense Against the Dark Arts? I would've failed you in potions had you not agreed! And now –"

"Hey!" The shout left Rey's mouth before she could stop it. She raced into the room, her tattered bag falling to the floor.

Snoke's eyes fixed on her, and she was suddenly struck by how tall he was. He towered over the broad form of Ben. Snoke took a step forward, and his figure rippled. Suddenly, Finn and Poe stood before her, uncharacteristic sneers upon their faces. "What? You think we'd be friends with _you? _The orphan girl with no skill?"

"You only made the Quidditch team because you _framed _a better player. Fraud."

Rey stared at the figures, clutching her wand at her side. Her rational side told her they were not real, but their words cut deep into her psyche. "I… no, we're friends. Since the first year…"

"Pathetic. Solo only talks to you because he pities you."

"_R_-_Riddikulus_," Ben's voice stuttered. A crack filled the air, and Finn and Poe faltered. Poe's face contorted into Snoke's pale one.

The end of Rey's wand shook as she raised it, and she repeated, _"Riddikulus."_

The two figures doubled over with another crack. Snoke looked like had been hit over the head. Finn began giggling as if someone were tickling his stomach, and the tension in Rey's shoulders released. Her voice stronger, she spoke in unison with Ben, _"Riddikulus."_

The figures shuttered and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Rey let out a long breath and stared at the spot where they had been, her arm still outstretched. Ben shifted and sank into a chair. Rey sat on top of the desk in front of him and brushed against a stack of books. "So you're fighting a boggart because...?"

"My bag was stolen, and someone told me it was in this closet." Ben's voice was muffled as he spoke through the hands covering his face.

"Oh." Rey gripped her knee in an effort stop her shaking hand. "And you believed this person?"

"They had no reason to lie to me." Ben's hand ran through his dark hair. "At least I didn't think so."

Rey put her wand back within her robes. "Do you, ah, need help finding your bag?"

Ben sucked in a slow breath and shook his head. "No. I'll just cast a summoning charm on every floor until I find it."

"All right." Rey chewed her lower lip for a moment. Her legs seemed unwilling to fully support her weight. "How'd your bag get stolen?"

Ben took so long to respond that Rey began to think he had not heard her. "Someone took it from the locker room during Quidditch practice." He finally met her gaze and gave a bitter smile. "Happens every year."

Rey tilted her head to the side, studying Ben's face. "Your mum's the head of your house. Hasn't she done anything to stop it?"

The corners of Ben's mouth twitched as if he was trying to suppress a scowl. "We only ever talk if she's correcting me in class."

Rey opened her mouth to question further, but a voice that sounded a bit like Finn's told her to let Ben have his privacy. Besides, she did not know enough about family to judge or offer advice. The homes she had been moved around to for the first eleven years of her life gave her little context in family relations.

Ben gave her a strange look and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Uh, well, thanks. For helping me. Again."

Rey shook herself out of her reverie and moved away from the desk to her discarded bag. "Um, yeah. No problem." She paused and watched him move toward the door. His hands hung awkwardly at the sides of his slouched form, and she realized he usually held onto his bag's strap. "Do you, ah, need to study? You have N.E.W.T. exams coming up, right? You can borrow my ink and quills tonight. I'm just going to practice Charms with Finn and Poe."

The instant the words left her mouth, Rey internally cursed herself. She would never hear the end of this from Finn and Poe.

He blinked in surprise, and suspicion crossed his expression. Rey felt a peculiar ache in her chest. She understood from first-hand experience what it was like not to trust anyone, but at least she had found friends at Hogwarts. The young man in front of her didn't seem to have any, even after seven years at school. His face relaxed after a moment, and he gave a brief nod. "Yeah. Yeah, that'd be great."

Rey slung her tattered bag over her shoulder and waited for him to gather the books stacked on one of the desks. "We're meeting on the seventh floor. I thought I'd take a secret passage up since Paploo is wreaking havoc upstairs."

"Anita Almeida's portrait passage?" At Rey's surprised look, Ben let out a laugh. "Is she still asking to have food sent to her portrait?"

Rey's heart soared at the laugh, and she joined him with a nod. "Yeah. I've been meaning to look up how portraits can eat."

Ben followed her out of the classroom and fell into step next to her as they walked the short distance to the portrait in question. "I think it's something to do with the magic of Hogwarts. Portraits outside of school don't do that."

Rey stopped in front of the frame and smiled at the witch. She wore a hat with a purple feather, and her hand rubbed over the moon-patterned dress covering her belly. "Hi. Uh, chops and gravy."

"Ohhhh, I wish. I'm so hungry," the witch groaned, "but that's not the password. Why don't you go ask the warlocks in the Mos Eisley portrait for the password and have them send down some pork chops. And gravy. And a spot of pumpkin juice. Oh, and some bacon. Not too much. Ohhh, but I'm so hungry."

"But can't you just - ?"

"Chalmun's cantina," Ben said from beside Rey.

The witch's hungry groans stopped, and she fixed Ben with a sharp stare. "What did you say?"

Ben adjusted his grip on his books as if uncomfortable with being stared at. "Chalmun's cantina. You know, the password."

"Fine, fine. Just let me starve here all alone," the witch grumbled as her frame swung forward.

Rey stepped into the passage and waited until the portrait closed again before she sputtered out another laugh. "How'd you know the password?"

Ben's wand tip lit to illuminate the dark space, and he lead the way down the narrow passage. "I use the passages a lot. The Mos Eisley portrait usually lets me know when she changes the password."

"Why do you use the passages?"

"Same as you. To avoid havoc." He pushed open the portrait on the other side. He stepped into the brightly light corridor of the seventh floor and turned help Rey down the step out of the passage. She almost argued that she could take care of herself before she realized that Ben Solo was being a gentleman. Finn and Poe's continuous jabs toward their attraction raced through her mind, but she took his offered hand with a broad grin.

"Thanks. Uh, we usually meet down here." Rey gestured down the hall and started toward their usual classroom. As members of different houses, they couldn't study together in a common room as many did, and she found the library to be too quiet, especially when they needed to practice spells. They used the Great Hall on occasion, but they were usually shooed out once dinner finished to give the house elves a chance to clean.

The light at the end of Ben's wand went out, and he waved it to make his stack of books float next to him. "What Charm are you studying?"

"The vinegar to wine charm. It's tricky." Rey paused and glanced at Ben. His mother was a Charms specialist; perhaps he had inherited that. "I don't know why we're not learning it in Transfiguration."

Ben nodded and spoke slowly as he chose his words carefully. "The key is to not think of it as a transfiguration because it essentially isn't. You're reverting the alcohol in the vinegar to the alcohol in wine, not changing it into a completely new thing like transfiguration."

Rey raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Could you help us?"

Ben shrugged, and the books next to him bobbed in the air. "Sure. I guess. I've never really taught anyone before."

They neared the classroom, and Rey paused as she heard the laughter of Finn and Poe inside. Ben stopped and gave her a quizzical look. "You going inside? They are _your _friends."

Finn and Poe would never stop bothering her once they saw who she had invited to join their study session. Ben was close enough that Rey could smell the broomstick wood on the hand holding his wand out toward the books. The broomstick wood mixed with a certain scent she associated with amortentia. Rey felt her face flush. "Hey, um. Are you doing anything Saturday?"

The suspicious look covered Ben's face again, and he regarded her carefully. Red creeped up his neck. "Studying. Why?"

"It's a Hogsmead weekend. Would you like to go with me?" He didn't answer immediately, and Rey blurted nervously, "I mean, Finn and Poe would probably be with me so it wouldn't be quite as awkward. But they are awkward, too, so maybe you should just forget I said anyth – "

"Yes. Hogsmead sounds… fun." Ben gave an anxious smile, his face completely red. Rey liked the way his smile lit up his dark features.

"O-Okay. It's a da – a plan, then." She returned the smile, sure that it looked just as anxious as Ben's, and turned to enter the classroom.

Finn and Poe looked up from where they were levitating three glass of vinegar. "Hey, Rey." A mischievous smile spread across Poe's face. "You brought a boyfr – _ouch –_ a friend."

Finn's elbow stayed threatening against Poe's side as he smiled. "Studying with us tonight, Ben?"

"Ben said he could help us with the wine charm." Rey set her bag on a desk and pulled out her Charms book. Ben's stack of books dropped down next to her. "Oh, and he's coming with us to Hogsmead on Saturday."

The glasses of vinegar shattered as they hit the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

Rey wiped frost from the window and watched the first rays of sunlight strike the lake. The grass glistened with frost, and the horizon turned orange and pink. A grin pulled at her mouth, and she felt a twinge of nervousness in her stomach. She wondered if Ben Solo felt the same way.

She pulled her school robe over her sweater, slipped her wand into an interior pocket, and snatched a blue and bronze scarf before heading out of the dark dormitory. Ravenclaws straggled into the common room and stood in clusters as they waited for friends to emerge. Rey spotted the sleek blonde hair of Phasma as she lounged nonchalantly in one of the oversized chairs. They locked eyes for a moment before Rey turned away and exited the room.

Her stomach rumbled as she smelled breakfast, and Rey hurried down the marble staircase. She spotted Finn and Poe next to each other at the Hufflepuff table, their heads lowered next to each other. Rey sat across from them and pulled a pitcher of pumpkin juice over to her. "Morning."

"Ready for Hogsmeade?" Poe raised his eyebrows suggestively and grinned.

Rey piled bacon and sausage onto her plate and nodded, stuffing the bacon into her mouth and speaking around it. "Yep. I've got a couple of sickles to spend at Honeydukes."

"Rey, c'mon. Honeydukes? What about our charming Mr. Solo?" Finn slapped Poe's hand away as he reached to steal bacon from Rey's plate. "There's a perfectly good batch right over there."

Rey set her goblet down and let out a slow breath. "Look, if either of you make him feel uncomfortable with your incessant jokes and suggestions, I swear that you'll find yourself on the receiving end of a curse. I don't know what one or even when, but I swear to Merlin I will. All right?"

Finn held up his hands in surrender as Poe shrugged and took a bite of bacon. "We weren't planning on anything, but it's nice to know that you care."

Rey rolled her eyes, but her retort stopped in her throat as Ben slouched into the Great Hall. He started toward an empty place at the Slytherin table, but Rey raised her hand and gave a small wave to beckon him over. One of his dark eyebrows rose, but Ben moved to sit next to Rey at the Hufflepuff table. "Hi, Rey." His eyes flicked up to the two across from them. "Finn, Poe."

An awkward silence befell the group as Ben poured himself some pumpkin juice and took a muffin from a nearby plate. Rey's eyes fell on the Slytherin table, where the fiery red head of Hux was leaned over to whisper to some members of the Slytherin Quidditch team. They cast Ben dark looks.

Finn and Poe seemed to be having a silent conversation with their expressions. Ben ripped off a piece of the muffin and started to put in his mouth before he paused. "You can talk normally. This doesn't have to be any more awkward than it already is."

Finn coughed uncomfortably, and Rey kicked him under the table before giving Ben a small smile. "So, do you want to go anywhere specific?"

Ben swallowed the piece of his muffin and glanced at Finn and Poe, who were watching him a bit too intently. Some red creeped up his neck and clashed with the green on his robes. "Um, well, I haven't been to Hogsmeade for a few years, so I don't really remember what's there. Wherever you usually go is fine; I don't want to intrude."

Poe opened his mouth to presumably comment on Ben not going to Hogsmeade for years, but Rey kicked him, too. "We usually go to Honeydukes and Spintwitches, and the Three Broomsticks if it's cold."

Ben gave Poe a strange look as he jumped from the kick. "Does Honeydukes still have those licorice wands?"

"Ugh, do you like those, too?" Finn made a disgusted face. "Rey's the only person I know that does. They're awful."

Ben's posture turned defensive, but a smile played at the edge of his mouth. "They're the best candy Honeydukes carries. Apart from cauldron cakes, that is."

"At least you're partly sane, then," Poe said with a flash of a grin. "Shall we go before it gets too busy?"

They headed out of the Great Hall, into the Entrance Hall, and out of the castle. The cold air bit at Rey's face, and she wrapped her arms around herself. "I thought it was getting warmer out."

Finn and Poe huddled next to each other, nodding to Plutt as he checked their permission to go to the village. The chunky man waved the two through but held out a hand and squinted up at Ben. "Says here Professor Snoke has suspended your permission to go out, Solo."

Ben's eyes narrowed, and he tapped the parchment clutched in Plutt's hand. "If you look closer, you'll also see Professor Organa repealed that. She is my Head of House."

Plutt grumbled, and his piggy eyes scanned down the parchment. "Hmmm. It seems Professor Snoke tried to overrule Organa's decision. But she is the Head of House." Stubby fingers tapped against the list. "I'll have to contact these two, and that might take all day…"

Poe coughed noticeably from beside Plutt, and Rey caught a glimpse of gold pass from his hand to the caretaker's. "Or you could just settle this another time, and let the man have a nice afternoon. I mean, you wouldn't want to annoy the family that took down Palpatine, right?"

Plutt's hand disappeared into a pocket. "Oh, all right. You've appealed to my better nature. Go on, Solo, before I change my mind."

Ben's eyes flicked to Poe for a moment, but he did not say anything as he walked out of the castle grounds with Rey. Once they were out of hearing distance from Plutt, Poe raised an eyebrow up at Ben. "Why doesn't Snoke want you to go to Hogsmeade? He's not related to you, is he?"

Ben shrugged and shook his head. "No, he's not. I don't really know why he doesn't think I should go."

The red appeared on his cheeks, and Rey couldn't decide if it was from the crisp morning air or if he was not telling the entire story. Deciding she did not know him well enough to pry, she changed the topic. "So do you support any Quidditch teams?"

Ben gave Rey a grateful look. "Ah, I like the Wimborne Wasps."

Poe groaned and shook his head. "No way. You're one of _them? _Appleby Arrows all the way."

"Arrrroows!" Finn sang in a victory melody. He and Poe burst into laughter.

Ben shook his head, his expression slipping into a comfortable grin. "The Arrows are overrated. The Wasps' Beaters are second to none."

Something clicked in Rey's mind. "Your strategy to take out our Keeper. The Wasps did that two years ago in the National Cup."

Ben nodded and raised an eyebrow. "Are you a Wasp fan, too?"

Rey avoided Poe's gaze as he looked sharply at her. "I try not to remind these two that I like them. Their Beaters are great, but their Chasers could take some tips from the Arrows."

"A fair assessment, I suppose," Ben said as they stepped into the village of Hogsmeade.

They huddled into Honeydukes, and Rey wandered over to her favorite licorice wands while Finn and Poe moved to the sugar quills and chocolate frogs. Ben paused by the door, the comfortable conversation broken by the routine of a group he was not part of. After a moment, he followed Rey to the licorice wands, his shoulders slumped forward as if he was trying to make himself look smaller and less noticeable.

Rey cleared her throat awkwardly and picked up one of the sweets. Ben reached above her and took a bundle of cauldron cakes from a higher shelf. "Want to split packages?"

Four cakes stacked on top of each other in the bundle, and Rey held four licorice wands tied together. Checking the price of the wands, Rey nodded. "Sure."

After giving the shop attendant six sickles, Rey handled two of the wands to Ben and took two of his cauldron cakes. Poe raised his eyebrows suggestively from behind Ben, and Rey shot him a glare after the Slytherin moved to open the door back into the street.

"How about a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks? If it hasn't warmed up afterwards, we can head back to the castle," Finn said as he wrapped an arm around Poe's shoulders.

Rey's breath clouded in front of her face, and she fluffed up her scarf. Ben paused and glanced at the couple before his hands slid into the pockets of his robe. Other Hogwarts students swarmed around the streets, all huddled in tight groups against the unusual cold. The crowd thickened as they entered the Three Broomsticks, and Rey was forced to squish against Ben to avoid falling into a group of giggling third year Hufflepuffs. Ben's face burned red, and he ran a hand through his hair.

Finn slipped away from Poe and moved to the counter. "I'll get us the drinks. You lot grab a table!"

Rey weaved her way through the crowd of students and slipped into a chair just as four large Slytherins vacated the table. Ben gave them a tight smile and took the seat next to Rey.

Poe plopped across from them and waved to someone behind Rey. "Hi, professor."

Rey twisted in her seat to spot Professor Organa sitting at a nearby table with the tiny Transfiguration professor Kanata. The bulging eyes of Professor Ackbar appeared around Organa as she approached their table. "In all my years, I don't think I've ever seen a group of friends consisting of all four houses. I'm assuming that mister – ah, yes, there he comes."

Finn made his way around a wide table and set four mugs of butterbeer down. "Hello, professor. A cold day for this late in April, huh?"

Organa smiled brightly, seeming not to notice Ben avoiding her gaze. "Indeed. I was just saying that it's extremely rare to see members of all four houses gathered around a single table, especially all members of house Quidditch teams." Her expression turned thoughtful. "Perhaps I should write the _Daily Prophet_. They would be interested to see interhouse unity efforts are working."

Rey exchanged a look with Finn and Poe. She and Finn had become friends their first year, and Poe joined their little group when he had started dating Finn. She never even knew there was any interhouse unity efforts.

Organa seemed to shake herself out of her thoughts. "Anyway, I should let you get back to your fun." She patted Ben's shoulder lightly. "Good to see you out of the library, Ben, but I hope you're not forgetting about your N.E.W.T.s."

She walked back to her table, and Ben's shoulders shrunk in on themselves. Rey pushed over one of the mugs to him and took another for herself. "That was one of the least motherly interactions I've seen. And I would know."

Ben wrapped his hands around the mug and stared at the liquid inside. "It's been like that since she sent me to live with my uncle."

Poe took a deep drink of his butterbeer. "You grew up with your uncle?" His eyes widened, and his palm tapped the table excitedly. "Wait, your uncle Luke Skywalker?"

Ben gave Poe's tapping hand a dark look. "Before you ask, yes, he's really good at defense spells, no, he's not that tall, and no, I have no idea where he is."

"But if you grew up with him – "

"He ran off years ago when I started Hogwarts. No one's seen him since. But everyone apparently thinks I'm in secret communication with him," Ben said with a growl lacing the edges of his voice.

Poe opened his mouth again but gave a grunt of pain as Finn's elbow connected with his side. Rey took a sip of her butterbeer nervously before changing the subject. "So, uh, thanks for your help with the wine spell, by the way."

"Rey got top marks in our practical quiz. Not that it's not unusual in Charms, though," Finn said with a proud grin. "At least she doesn't show everyone up in Transfiguration. What's your best subject, Ben?"

Ben blinked at the friendliness in Finn's voice and cleared his throat. "Erm, Defense Against the Dark Arts, I suppose, although I did pretty well in my potions O.W.L., too."

"Wasn't the O.W.L. easier without Snoke hovering around?" As she asked him, the memory of Ben's boggart flooded her mind, and she wished she hadn't brought the professor up. Ben apparently didn't have the best relationship with the potions master.

Finn nodded, oblivious to Rey's guilt. "Oh yeah. I was much more relaxed, even with the stress of the exam. Snoke just has this… _aura _of pressure."

Ben nodded slowly in agreement and took a deep drink of his butterbeer. Poe raised a hand to greet someone behind Rey.

Jessika Pava, who Rey knew as a Gryffindor Chaser, appeared at the edge of the table with a grin. "Hey, Dameron. Did you scare whoever you wanted to with that boggart?"

Rey and Ben's heads looked up simultaneously to stare at Poe. "What boggart?"

Poe smiled up at Jessika. "Oh, I'll tell you about it in the common room."

Jessika slapped Poe on the shoulder and rejoined a group of Gryffindors. Poe drank deeply from his mug and didn't stop until he had finished the drink. Without an excuse not to talk, he cleared his throat. "So. So. Who's excited for the next Quidditch match?"

Rey felt her eyes narrowing. "What was she talking about, Poe?"

"Hm? Oh, Jessika? Nothing. Just a little prank on someone." Poe flashed a smile that looked more nervous than his usual expression.

Ben's hands had curled into fists. Finn's eyes were narrowed, too, and his voice lowered as he addressed his boyfriend. "Did you put the boggart in that closet for Ben?"

"Of course not!" Poe looked affronted. At Finn's insistent look, he let out a slow sigh. "Jessika did."

Rey shook her head disbelievingly. "What – What the bloody hell possessed you to do that? Did you steal Ben's bag, too?"

"Look, I told you you've got a Gryffindor complex. I knew you'd help him if you needed –" Poe gave her a pleading look. "I didn't mean anything bad! He's good at Defense Against the Dark Arts! And you two needed a reason to talk –"

Ben stood abruptly, his face deep red. He handed Finn the few sickles he owed him for the butterbeer and stormed to the door, pushing other students out of his way.

"Ben, wait!" Rey cast Poe a harsh look. "I hope you're happy. He'll probably never speak with any of us again."

She weaved her way through the crowd and left the warm pub. Ben's tall frame was almost to the edge of the village, his head bent against the cold. "Ben!"

He didn't stop, and Rey ran to catch up with his long strides. "Ben. I'm so sorry. I didn't know, really. Poe, well, I don't really know why he did that. He's usually not a jerk."

Ben's face was still red, and he didn't look at Rey. "And here I thought you might actually like me. That I might actually be making friends."

"Ben. I want to be your friend. Really. You've got great taste in Quidditch, and candy, and you – "

"Save it." Ben stopped walking and out his hand up. His fingers trembled, and his eyes looked wet. "I don't need your pity."

He started back to the castle again, and Rey reached out to grab his arm. "I'm sorry, Ben, please."

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Ben bellowed, his voice cutting through the cold air like a knife. Red sparks shot from within his robes where his wand rested. He pushed Rey's hand off his arm and stalked away, leaving her standing alone in the street.


	5. Chapter 5

Rey adjusted her bag's strap on her shoulder and chewed her lower lip impatiently. The stone wall remained still. Her beat up watch told her she was nearing two hours standing in front of the wall, and she had seen no one come or go from the common room hidden behind the stone. Did all Slytherins sleep late, or did they just all get up early on a Sunday? She hoped the Slytherins inside weren't peeking through a secret window and laughing at her.

She shifted the bag again, feeling the books inside bump against her leg. She had gotten none of her Transfiguration or Charms essays done the night before, and she still had arthimancy problems to work through, but she had spent all night worrying about Ben and thinking up ways to hex Poe. She was starting to doubt that pursuing Ben Solo was even a good idea. They still barely knew each other. And the Slytherin Quidditch team had been casting her dark looks during dinner the previous night when she had searched their table unsuccessfully for Ben.

Perhaps it was best if she just left him alone. It wasn't like they would fall into some happy romance, especially with him graduating soon and going off into the world while she would spend her summer in some foster house counting the days until she turned seventeen and could legally use magic. Ben probably thought she had been part of the boggart prank and had been secretly laughing at him all week. A pang of guilt and pity flooded in her chest. She wondered if he had ever had friends, or if the legacy behind his family had always kept others at a distance.

She should give Ben some space and let him cool down. The person she really needed to see was Finn. He had avoided Poe and refused to speak with him during the walk back to the castle, and he immediately joined a group of Hufflepuffs back to his common room. If Finn wasn't so good-natured, he likely would've hexed Poe. Rey was sure she would the next time she saw the Gryffindor.

Deciding the Slytherins were definitely watching her pathetic waiting through a secret window, Rey sighed and pushed away from the wall. She needed to get some breakfast before going to the library. She was only a few paces down the hall when she heard the noise of brick moving. Her heart leapt nervously, and she glanced behind her, hoping to see the slouching form of Ben.

Instead, a thin young man with perfect posture and fiery red hair stood before her with an amused expression. "Trying to discover all our secrets?"

"No. Just waiting for someone," Rey crossed her arms, her hand brushing against the wand within her robe reassuringly.

"Solo? My, I don't think he wants to talk with you. He seemed rather upset last night." Hux's fingers ran over the expensive gold watch on his wrist. "I think he's learned not to associate with other houses. Slytherin _is_ his family."

Rey felt her eyebrows pull together as she scoffed. "'His family?' What kind of family tries to get him to fail an exam and frame him for vandalism? What kind of family sees him go without friends and does nothing?"

Hux took a step closer, his voice lowering. "And what would an orphan know of family? I suggest you leave Solo alone, before you get the blame for throwing off his Quidditch playing, or even his N.E.W.T. performance."

Hux's eyes cast over Rey's too-big robes before he strode down the hall in confident, even steps. The sound of his gleaming shoes clicking against the floor echoed through the stone walls. Rey let out a long sigh and watched the red hair disappear up the stairs.

Deciding she would meet Finn in the Great Hall for breakfast and homework, she rummaged through her tattered bag to check for her potions and charms textbook. She shoved loose quills and ink bottles aside and paused as she found a folded piece of parchment with her name written in blocky letters. She started to open it when a loud rip sounded through the empty hall.

The quills cascaded out of the bag, followed quickly by her rolls of parchment. Her textbooks widened the hole as they collapsed into the floor. Cursing, Rey set the bag on the floor and took out her wand to tap it against the tear.

"_Reparo." _The bag began to sow itself back together, and Rey kept it pointed at the thin material as she reached for an ink bottle that had rolled across the hall. The door to the potions classroom was open a crack. As she picked up the bottle, Rey did not expect to hear the sound of a spell hitting the desk in a potions classroom on a Sunday morning.

Peering through the door, she watched with widening eyes as Ben stood with his back to her, deflecting and casting spells at a rate a dueling master would be envious of. Professor Snoke stood at the back, flicking his curved wand lazily.

One of Ben's spells hit a jar of ingredients behind Snoke, and the resulting explosion filled the room with a green haze. A shield erupted from the end of Ben's wand to block two more spells. He twisted the wand in a tight circle, and Rey heard the sound of wood hitting the ground.

The haze cleared, and Snoke's hunched form curled to pick up the wand. "Better. But still not good enough to curse me." His gnarled face twisted as he slipped his wand into his black robe. "Do you need something, Miss Smith, or do I need to take twenty points from Ravenclaw for spying on a private lesson?"

Rey jumped and backed away from the door. Ben's brown eyes found her through the crack, his expression not furious as she expected. He looked almost… _afraid. _

The hairs on the back of Rey's neck rose, and she hesitated. What was Snoke, the potions master, doing teaching Ben what looked like dueling? Rey wanted desperately to stop whatever had made that look on Ben's face. Her muscles screamed to run inside and confront Snoke, but she couldn't decide what to do.

Ben's wand jerked to the side to point to the door. He mouthed "go."

She mouthed back "later" and snatched her bag before running up the stairs out of the dungeon.

* * *

"Wouldn't he be working with his mum? Why would Snoke be teaching him anything, especially dueling?" Finn's finger ran over the stem of his goblet nervously.

Rey shrugged and picked at her sausage. "I don't know. Something's definitely wrong there, though. His boggart was Snoke." She set the fork down and shook her head. "I didn't think about it before, since Snoke is pretty creepy, but now…"

She sighed and glanced at the huge doors for the tenth time in the last five minutes. "Speaking of boggarts, how're you and Poe?"

Finn let out a long breath. "We're going to talk later today." He looked down at his plate and picked up a grape between his fingers. "I just can't believe he would do that. I know he said he would get Ben to come with us, but I didn't think he meant scare the living daylights out of both of you."

He swallowed hard, and Rey put a hand on his with an encouraging grin. "Would it make you feel better if I hexed him? 'Cause I promised him I would."

Finn let out a short laugh. "You know, it would actually. He knows he deserves it for being such a prat."

Rey smiled and took one of his grapes, popping it in her mouth. "Good. I've been brushing up on my bat bogey hex."

"Perfect. It'll get all the crap out of his head," Finn said with a snort.

Rey picked up her bag from the floor and grabbed the folded parchment with her name written on it. "He wrote me a letter of apology. I'm not sure how he got it in my bag without me noticing." She handed Finn the letter and took a bite of her eggs as his eyes flicked back and forth over the writing.

After several long moments, Finn let out a long sigh. "He's definitely not as charismatic in writing as he is when speaking, but he does sound really sorry." He took a drink from his goblet and nodded to the long window over her shoulder. "Slytherin practicing today?"

Rey looked over her shoulder to see a lone figure lapping around the Quidditch stadium. Although the figure was almost a dot, she recognized the flying style.

Gulping down the rest of the pumpkin juice, Rey grabbed her bag. "I'll see you later to finish that Charms essay?"

"Uh, yeah. Where're you - ?" Finn called after her, but Rey hurried out of the hall before he could finish his sentence.

* * *

The cool wind bit at Rey's face as her Cleansweep soared over the empty stadium and onto the field. Ben swerved among the goal posts at one end of the pitch and turned to start another lap. He began to pick up speed but suddenly turned the broom to stop as he spotted her. His lips pressed together, and he turned away to start descending.

"Ben, wait!" Rey shot toward him and told herself that the tears welling in her eyes were from the cold air. "Please, can we just talk?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Ben grumbled softly as his feet touched the ground.

Rey landed in front of him and raised an eyebrow. "I'll make a deal with you. You beat me in a race around the pitch, and you can ignore me for the rest of the year. I won't bother you ever again. But if I win, we talk about what happened yesterday."

Ben frowned, his eyes flicking between their brooms. The golden letters of the Nimbus 2001 shone from the scratched wood of his handle. The Cleansweep emblem was barely visible due to the number of times Rey polished the wood of her own broom.

"It's a pretty good deal, you know. Nimbuses are faster than Cleansweeps," Rey said with a challenging tone as she tapped her broom. If he was anything like her, he would accept a challenge that involved flying.

Ben's jaw clenched for a moment before he nodded once. "Fine. You'll leave me alone when I win."

They both kicked off from the ground and flew behind the nearest set of goal posts. Rey glanced at Ben and leaned over her broom. "Ready? Set. Go."

Ben shot forward, and Rey followed close behind. Despite the speed modifications on her broom, his was obviously superior as he pulled ahead. As they crossed the half way point of the pitch, he was nearly two lengths in front of her. Rey barely slowed as she banked hard and cut across the middle of the pitch and shot toward their starting point.

She heard Ben curse as he approached her hovering broom. "You cheated."

Rey shrugged and leaned back on her broom, keeping one hand on the handle for balance. "I never said we had to go all the way around." She grinned at the look on his face. "Although for a Slytherin, you have pretty great integrity."

Ben shook his head and began to descend. "And I thought Ravenclaws were better than most of the members of my house."

Rey sighed and followed him, grabbing the end of his broom. "So that's another thing I need to apologize for. Let's just fly slowly together and talk. Please? Just five minutes. You don't need to say anything, just hear me out."

Ben chewed his lower lip before he gave a small roll of his eyes. "Fine. Five minutes."

Rey took a deep breath as they drifted across the pitch, studying a persistent scratch in her broom handle that would not go away with her polishing kit. "I want you to know that I didn't know anything about what Poe pulled. He just… gets carried away sometimes. I figured he would just ask you or tell you to ask me out if I didn't." Rey looked up at Ben, meeting his dark brown eyes. "I won't excuse his behavior, but I wanted to say that I'm sorry. For unknowingly hurting you. And I understand that you probably never want to talk to me again, especially because of this, but I also wanted you to know that I was really enjoying being with you."

One of Ben's legs swung from his broom in a slow pendulum motion, and he brushed a fingerprint smudge from the dark handle. "Poe sent me a letter apologizing." He sighed softly and focused on the goal posts with a strange look. "I'm still not sure how his owl got into my dormitory considering it's under the lake."

Rey couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. "Beebee probably snuck in behind a Slytherin. He's pretty smart."

"But why the orange feathers? It should be a crime to ruin such a beautiful owl," Ben said with a laugh to match hers.

"He claims it wasn't him!" Rey laughed harder and gripped her broom with both hands to avoid falling. Their brooms were slowly drifting down toward the painted center of the pitch. "Can I ask you something?"

Ben's dark eyebrows pulled together, and he shook his head. "If this is about what you saw this morning - "

"No, no. That's… your business." Rey felt her face become hot. "Do… Do you want to spend more time together? And not with Poe and Finn. Just… us?"

Ben's face turned red, and he leaned over the small space between them to kiss her.


	6. Chapter 6

"Are you listening?"

Ben crossed a letter on his parchment and kept writing. "Hm?"

"I asked if you slept all right. You look exhausted," Rey said as she examined Ben's lowered face.

"Let me finish this. I'm almost done," Ben muttered distractedly as he continued to scribble. The parchment rolled against his goblet as he slowly pushed it up to write.

Rey slid the goblet to the side to keep the parchment from falling into the juice. She grabbed a muffin and ripped a piece off. "What's your favorite muffin?"

Ben's brown eyes glanced up, his hand barely slowing. "Hm? Oh, thanks." His free hand reached up to take the piece of muffin and stuff it into his mouth as he dipped his quill into the ink bottle in front of him.

"Er, you're welcome?" Rey took a bite of the muffin and glanced at her battered watch. "First classes start in ten minutes, you know."

Ben's hunched back straightened, and he wrote two more words, dotting the end of the sentence so hard that his quill punctured the parchment. "Done. Sorry. What were you saying?"

He grabbed his goblet and took a long drink. Rey handed him the rest of the muffin. "What's the essay?"

"Transfiguration. It's due in," Ben checked his watch, "nine minutes."

Rey raised an eyebrow as he scarfed down the muffin. "I thought you were holed up in the library last night. Didn't you have time for it then?"

"I had a Charms essay, which Organa would notice if I scribbled out during breakfast, and potions questions to complete, and I was practicing Defense Against the Dark Arts. N.E.W.T. exams are just under two months away." Ben's face wrinkled to match the stress in his voice. "I had to get everything done since there's Quidditch practice tonight."

Rey reached her hand out to take his, but he pulled back and grabbed another muffin. "Ready to go?"

Rey nodded and grabbed her bag, throwing it over her shoulder. She grabbed a few whole pieces of fruit and shoved them into the bag. Ben raised a dark eyebrow as he took a big bite of his muffin. "What? I get hungry."

Ben shrugged and finished off his muffin. "I mean I eat all the time, too, I just never thought to take food with me for later."

"I kind of got in the habit of hoarding food growing up in foster homes," Rey heard herself say before she could stop herself. She rarely let herself talk about her childhood, but somehow it just felt like a natural thing to tell Ben, even after only a few days since their in-flight kiss.

He nodded thoughtfully, and Rey could not detect the usual expression of pity or wariness that accompanied most people's faces after they found out about her upbringing. "That must've been hard. Were you in many?"

"There was a period when I was moved about once a year, and now that I'm here, I usually go to a group home for the summer." The pit of Rey's stomach twisted at the thought of leaving Hogwarts for the summer, of graduating the following year with hardly a knut to her name.

Ben swallowed the remnants of his muffin and gave a half smile. "I'm sure my mum would be overjoyed to have you visit. And it would get her attention away from me."

Rey looked up at him, surprised. "Really? You think we could last that long?"

Ben's face tinged pink, but he nodded and glanced at the crowd of students going to their first classes. Pulling her into an empty corner behind a pillar, he grinned and gave her a slow kiss. "I think so."

Rey grabbed Ben's neck and pulled him down to kiss him again. She closed her eyes and felt his hands slide down to her waist. She could taste the blueberry of his muffin, and as her tongue slid out to explore his lips, he pulled away and rested his forehead on hers. "Five minutes until class."

Rey let out a long sigh and nodded, slipping away from the pillar. "See you for lunch?"

"See you then." Ben gave her a shy smile and walked down the hall toward Transfiguration's first floor classroom, his back slowly rounding into his usual slouch the further he went. Rey watched his dark hair tower over most of the other students before she turned and raced up the stairs.

* * *

Rey stared at the red line on her finger and winced as the sting came up her arm. She stuck her finger into her mouth, tasting iron. Her free hand wiped the blood off her small knife.

"At this point your mandrake roots should be cut into even slices," Snoke's voice drawled from the front of the classroom.

She flipped the page in her potions book and nudged Finn. "Says to only use half the root. Why's he having us all chop a full one? Aren't they hard to collect?"

Finn shrugged and picked up half of his chopped root. The pieces plopped into his potion, and the mixture hissed. "Probably just wants us to do more work. We have left over unicorn horn shavings, too."

Rey rolled her eyes and nodded, making sure the blood from her finger didn't get into her potion as she added the roots to her own potion. "Probably."

"You and Ben studying together tonight?" Finn asked as he stirred his potion.

Rey didn't bother to suppress the grin. "Yeah. We're meeting for dinner and then going out to study by the lake since it's so nice out today."

Finn nodded and glanced at her with a smile. "You two are really hitting it off." His voice rose into a sing-song tone. "Love is in the air!"

Rey gave Finn a look. "You and Poe have been missing in action lately, too. What're you two up to?"

"We thought we should give you two some space since Poe pulled prat of the year award," Finn said with a shrug.

"Move your cauldrons to the table in the back of the room. By now they should be amber in color. They will simmer until the next class period." Snoke waved his curved wand, and a thick table appeared in the back of the classroom. "Bring your leftover unicorn horns and mandrake roots up here. I will make use of them for another potion."

Rey pulled out her wand and gave a small swish and flick. Her cauldron lifted into the air, and she walked with it to the back of the classroom. Finn muttered into her ear. "See? We were doing his dirty work by chopping up the roots."

Rey set the cauldron down and made sure it sat securely on the table. A first year had knocked someone's cauldron over a few weeks back, and she did not want to be the victim of another fiasco.

"Miss Smith." Snoke's pale, translucent hand curled around hers and brought it up to his eye level. "Carelessly cutting yourself? Five points from Ravenclaw." A long finger wiped away the small amount of blood from her cut. "I do hope none of that got into your potion. It would cause some… unpleasant results."

Rey pulled her hand back and frowned up at Snoke. "No, professor. I made sure it didn't."

Snoke stared down at her potion and smiled coldly. "Not the correct shade of amber. Your marks will reflect that."

Anger flared in her chest, and she opened her mouth to retort. Finn grabbed Rey's arm and pulled her away, muttering quietly, "Not worth a fight, Rey. He'll just fail you and deduct more points."

Rey wiped the cut on her finger and shuddered. "Merlin's stars, he's creepy. What do all the Slytherins see in him?"

"I'm really not sure if Ben is ready to talk with you again," Rey said with a frown at Poe as he stopped next to Finn. They stood next to the Great Hall, watching fifth years trail to the library with miserable looks on their faces.

Poe sighed and bit his lower lip. "I've apologized profusely. And I'm still sneezing bats, so thank you for that one, Rey."

"Maybe we should make you sneeze in front of him," Finn snickered and mimed waving a feather under Poe's nose. "Or maybe he'll feel better if Gryffindor just so happens to fall to Slytherin next week."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I'm still not over how fast and accurately his bludger hit took out J.J.," Poe shuddered as he lifted the flap on his bag and rummaged through it. "I don't want to see a repeat."

Rey glanced at her watch. "We said we'd meet for supper." She cast her eyes over the crowd, even though she knew his tall form would be recognizable over everyone. "Where is he? The rest of the Slytherin team all ate and left."

She occasionally wished for the technology the Muggles who put her up for the summer used. She could send Ben a message without needing to go find an owl. Finn put a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe he just got caught up doing extra practice and lost track of time. He seems the type. We could go nab some food from the kitchens for him."

"Yeah. Yeah. Let's go do that," Rey said with small smile. "You've yet to show me the kitchens anyway."

Poe's eyes lit up, and he led the way down the staircase. "More food! D'you think the house elves would make some of that custard tart we had at the Easter feast?"

Finn elbowed Poe's side and rolled his eyes. "Don't make them do more work." His face turned into an identical excited expression. "But they might have more of that pumpkin pie they had at dinner."

"Oh, that with some ice cream?" Poe smacked this lips and grinned.

Rey laughed at Poe's grin, and Finn reached up to tickle the pear on a large portrait. It giggled, and the frame swung open to reveal small house elves bustling around the kitchens. Rey nearly stopped as they climbed in, her stomach growling with the smells of more food than she could imagine. An elation similar to her scrawny, eleven-year-old self seeing her first Hogwarts feast rose within her, and she couldn't stop the childish grin.

"What cans we do for you, Mr. Finn?" A tiny house elf beamed up at Finn and held out a bowl of ice cream that miniaturized his already small hands. "More ice cream? But oh! Have you gotten back with your friend, Mr. Finn, sir?"

Finn grinned and took the bowl, taking a bite of the ice cream. "Thanks, Chirpo! And yeah, me and Poe made up."

Poe scooted next to his boyfriend and dipped his finger into the ice cream, licking it off. "Aw, Finn, did you get ice cream when we were fighting?"

Finn paused for a moment and took a large bite of the ice cream. Speaking around it, he grumbled, "Maybe."

Another house elf tapped Rey's leg. "Food, miss? We have a fresh batch of biscuits coming up!"

Rey smiled and nodded, watching four elves taking a tray of biscuits from a large oven. "Please. Thank you!"

"I'll let them cool and bring Mr. Solo more tea, and then you'll have all the biscuits you want!" The elf scuttled away, the flappy ears wiggling in delight.

Rey paused and watched the elf grab a thick mug and weave through the bustling house elves to a large fireplace at the other end of the kitchen. Leaning against the wall, his legs sprawled over the hearth, was a pale young man with dark hair.

"Ben?" Rey hurried over to him, barely noticing the house elves dash out of her path.

His dark hair sprawled across the brick wall, and his hands cupped the mug in front of him. His brown eyes flicked up, and Rey paused as she read the clear pain behind them. "Rey?" He sighed, and a trembling hand ran through his hair. "We were going to meet for dinner. I forgot."

Rey knelt in front of Ben and shifted her robes away from the fire. "Why are you in here? You look like you need to be in the hospital wing."

"It's just a headache. I get them a lot." Ben took a drink of the tea. "I'm sorry I forgot."

Rey put a hand over his. "You look awful. This can't just be a headache. I'll go with you to the hospital wing if you're sick."

Ben shook his head and gave a soft groan at the movement. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not sick. It's just a headache."

Finn tapped Rey's shoulder, and she turned as he knelt to whisper in her ear. "Chirpo says he's here about once a week and gave them orders not to tell anyone. Sometimes he spends the night."

Rey frowned and pressed her palm to Ben's forehead. "Merlin, you're warm. Madam Kalonia can fix you up in a heartbeat, and then I can show you that Quidditch book I found."

"No, Rey," Ben said in a hard voice, his eyes narrowing. "I can't go see Madam Kalonia."

"But you're sick – "

"Snoke will be furious if he finds out you know!" Ben's voice rose, causing the house elves to jump. He grimaced with the yell but didn't stop glaring at Rey.

Rey returned the look with a slow shake of her head. "What in the world are you doing with Snoke? What doesn't he want people to know?"

Ben shook his head and took a deep drink of the tea before he pulled himself to his feet with help from the wall. "Nothing. Just nothing."

Rey reached into her overly large robes and pulled out her wand. "Leave, and I will hex you, Ben Solo." She took a step closer to him, meeting his incredulous expression. "Look, I've really been enjoying being with you these last few days. But I don't think we can be together if you can't tell me something that's clearly hurting you."

Ben's hand raked through his hair, and he let out a slowly breath. "Please, Rey. I want to keep this private for now."

"Do we need to race around the Quidditch pitch all the time to get you to tell me things?" Rey sighed and lowered her wand. "C'mon. I… I'm starting to care about you. I won't use what you tell me against you."

Ben's eyes flicked to Finn and Poe. "Can we talk somewhere else?"

Rey shrugged. "I suppose, but this is probably the most private place we can find. Other people could be listening anywhere else."

"We'll step out, Rey. We've got some things to discuss anyway," Finn said with a nod to Ben. He and Poe shuffled out of the portrait hole after Poe snatched several biscuits.

Ben sank to the floor again and picked up the mug of tea, motioning for Rey to join him. She sighed and settled on the floor as a house elf brought over a plate of biscuits and a goblet of pumpkin juice. "Well?"

"Snoke… He, ah, he tutors me. Has been for years after I was failing potions second year." Ben's fingers trailed over the rim of the mug. "He noticed that my magic isn't as powerful as a normal wizard, so he makes me a potion to help. I just get headaches, and, uh, body aches, for a few hours afterwards, and any attempted treatment will negate its effects."

Rey frowned and studied Ben's face. "I watched you duel him. Your magic was plenty powerful. And why was he teaching you Defense Against the Dark Arts, anyway?"

"It was powerful because he gives me the potion. He's making sure I survive the world." Ben took a drink of the tea. "And he's an expert on nearly every subject, and he knows I do better in Defense when I practice."

Rey frowned and took a bite of a biscuit. "Is there a potion that increases magical power, though? Squibs would be taking that all the time."

Ben looked up and nodded vigorously before he grimaced again and pinched his nose again. "Of course there is. It's just so complex that not many can make it, except for a master like Snoke."

Rey made a mental note to check the library for a potion like Ben had described. "Well, you're graduating soon, so Snoke won't be able to give you that. Maybe you should try to get used to being without it. And that can't be legal for taking the N.E.W.T.s. How'd you get through the O.W.L.s?"

"It's fine, Rey. I can handle it," Ben said with an unconvincing smile.

"Something about Snoke just… creeps me out. You looked terrified when I saw you dueling." Rey shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her wand against her side. "Look, if we're going to make this work, I get to worry about you. And you need to tell me stuff, all right?"

Ben nodded slowly and looked down at his tea again. "I guess I'm just not used to anyone caring about what I do. I'll try to remember that. But I need Professor Snoke. He helped me pass all my O.W.L.s." He met her gaze with a pleading expression. "Can you understand that?"

Rey pressed her lips together before she nodded once. "Yeah."

Ben leaned forward, and she kissed him briefly as her stomach twisted uncomfortably.


	7. Chapter 7

"What a perfect week to be learning Disillusionment Charms," Poe said with a grin as he flourished his wand in the air.

Rey flinched and covered her head with her hands. "Don't wave that around. Organa said it's a sharp rap."

Poe rolled his eyes and held his wand out steadily. "Fine. Hold still."

Rey eyed him for a moment before she took her hands off her head. Poe's wand tapped her head sharply, and she felt a sensation as if Poe had cracked an egg over her. The cold spread throughout her body, and she looked down at the outline of her arms that now resembled the stone wall behind her. "Thank Merlin you didn't turn me into a parrot."

Poe tried swatting her arm but missed by several centimeters. "I'm not that bad at Charms. Now try not to turn me into a parrot, all right?"

Rey pulled out her own wand and watched it hover seemingly by itself in the air over Poe's head. She tapped it sharply over the Gryffindor's head and stowed it away as Poe slowly melted into the surroundings. "Where's Finn?"

"Are you kidding? He's a prefect. Can't have him compromising his morals," Poe's disembodied voice chuckled from her right. "Let's go. I saw Plutt up on sixth floor, so we just need to be quiet."

Rey groped for Poe's sleeve and followed him down the first-floor corridor. The tip of Poe's wand appeared in the air, and Rey glanced around the corridor for signs of anyone nearby as the lock opened. She stepped inside and heard Poe curse quietly as her foot clipped the heal of his shoe.

"Hope the Restricted Section doesn't have an extra sealing charm on it or something," Rey whispered softly to Poe as they made their way through the shelves of books to a gate locking away the restricted books. Her stomach clenched nervously. She never broke rules like this before for fear of being sent back to group homes. But Ben, with his shy smiles and deep chocolate eyes and occasionally red face, had grown on her, and she needed to do this for him.

Poe's wand appeared in the air, and he waved it several times. The gates remained shut. Rey pulled out her own wand and cursed as the unlocking charm refused to work. Poe's wand disappeared and was replaced by the shining silver of a knife. He stuck it into the lock, and the door swung open.

Rey stared at Poe in shock and followed the outline of his form through the open gates. "Where'd you get that?"

"Nicked it from my mum's desk back home a few years ago." Rey couldn't see Poe's face, but she knew it held a cocky grin. "All right, so, potions section?"

She nodded before realizing that Poe couldn't see her and whispered, "Yeah. Let's split up and make our way to the back."

Rey peered into every aisle, glancing at the titles of books until she stopped with an exclamation louder than she intended. "Aha! Here."

She pulled a thick book reading _Potions of Extraordinaree Power_ from a shelf and lit the tip of her wand to read the pages as she opened it. Poe's wand lit nearby and another book left the shelf. "Think we should take a few with us or just try to read them here?"

"Probably should just skim through lists of potions and leave the books here. Sinube might notice books missing," Poe muttered as his book flipped open.

Rey cast her wand light over the shelves and let out a long sigh. "There's a lot of potions books." She turned her eyes to the contents of the book in her hands and scanned names of the potions. "Too bad we can't do an automatic search…"

"A what?" Poe returned the book to the shelf and grabbed another.

Rey shook her head and pulled the thickest book she could see from its shelf. "Muggle thing. Sometimes I wish the wizarding world wasn't so stuck in tradition." She gave a soft laugh and opened the book. "Six years, and I'm still not sure why I can't use a pen over a quill."

"A _what?" _Poe's voice was laced with laughter. "Merlin, Muggles are insane."

He opened a book and let out a started yell. The book hit the floor with a thunk, and Rey looked up in shock to see the Disillusionment Charm had faded from Poe. Steam rose from his hands, and the book on the floor was degrading into bubbles.

"Hey! Who's there?" Rey froze, and Poe let out a whimper. Unkar Plutt's heavy footsteps clunked against the floor.

Rey snatched Poe's arm, dragging him behind her as she ran from the now gurgling book. She wove through several shelves, trying to much as much distance between the potions section and them.

She pulled Poe around another shelf and stopped. Poe held his trembling hands out and took deep breaths in an attempt to stay quiet. Rey took out her wand, rapping it sharply on Poe's head. He jumped, but the Disillusionment Charm slowly melted over his body again. She pressed against the edge of the shelf and whispered as softly as possible, "On three, run to the gate." Poe answered in a whimper, and she grabbed his arm, "Three!"

She pulled Poe along as his feet started to drag, swerved around the lantern clutched in Plutt's meaty fist, and raced up the marble staircase. She stopped to breathe as they reached the third floor but held her breath as she heard the faintest meow reach her ears.

"Zuvio," Poe hissed softly. Rey bit her lip to prevent a loud curse. Plutt might be annoying, but his cat was somehow more intimidating.

Rey glanced around for an escape route and immediately pulled Poe to the portrait of a sleeping woman. She rapped the woman's forehead and whispered, "Chalmun's cantina."

The woman started awake. "Uh? Huh? Breakfast time already? Oh, but who's there?"

"Chalmun's cantina. Just open!" Rey glanced around to see eyes reflecting the torchlight.

"Oh, fine. But send down some food. I need a midnight snack," the woman grumbled as the frame swung forward. Rey pushed Poe inside and pulled the portrait shut as quickly as possible.

Her wand tip lit, and she helped Poe through the passage as he moaned, "Rey, I need the hospital wing… I can't feel my hands."

Rey stepped out the end of the passageway and waved her wand to lift the Disillusionment Charms over both of them. Looking down at Poe's hands, she grimaced and forced herself not to look sick. The raw, red skin bubbled angrily and seemed to be spreading up his fingers. "Okay, okay. Um, you stay in here, and I'll go down to Madam Kalonia."

She almost expected Poe to protest, but he faintly nodded and followed her into a classroom as she pushed open the nearest door. She turned to pull out a desk chair but stopped as her eyes met what was definitely not a classroom.

Two long beds, one red and one blue, rested on opposite sides of the room with comfortable blankets and pillows decorating the covers. Two large bottles rested on a table in front of a large bookshelf. Rey picked one of the bottles up and read the label. _Degrading Potion Treatment: For the Clumsy Potioneer._

"Rey! Madam Kalonia?"

Rey turned and pulled off the stopper before she grabbed Poe's wrist carefully to avoid the potion. Slowly, she poured the contents of the bottle over the bubbling burns. Poe gave a slow sigh of relief as they watched the bubbling slow to a stop. "That's better." He winced as he flexed his fingers and examined the still-red skin of his shaking hand. "I… I don't know if I'll be able to play Quidditch this weekend…"

Rey's stomach twisted, and she snatched the other bottle on the table. _Skin Rejuvenation for Most Maladies. _"Well, that's convenient if this works."

She took his wrist again and poured over the reddened skin, watching as the damaged tissue quickly regained Poe's olive complexion. Poe's jaw dropped. "What in Merlin's name…?"

Rey set the bottle down on the table and drifted to the bookshelf, running her fingers over the spines of the books. "_Hogwarts: A History _doesn't have anything about a random room with books and convenient potions."

"No way," Poe breathed as he moved to her side. "_This _is the room Skywalker used to practice defense spells when he went here."

"What? Skywalker practiced spells in _this _tiny room? With two beds and bookshelf in the way?" Rey gave Poe an incredulous look. "Maybe we should go to Madam Kalonia to see if that potion didn't mess with your head."

Poe swatted her arm. "No, no. That book Skywalker and Organa wrote before he disappeared? It said there was a room that would have whatever they needed. There's an anecdote that Organa went to find Skywalker and found Han Solo hiding something illegal in a big room of stuff where their usual practice space was. It's the Room of Requirement!"

Rey pulled a book from the shelf. Her breath hitched as she read the title. "The room gave us books on rare potions."

Poe pointed to a fireplace that Rey was sure had not been there when they entered. Flames crackled to life, and he grabbed a pillow from the red bed. "Looks like we've got ourselves some light reading."

* * *

Finn's eyes were as wide as the plate in front of him. "Merlin, I really should report you two."

"You won't," Poe said with a flashy grin from next to him.

Finn let out a long sigh. "No, I won't." He lowered his voice, his expression serious. "But you two'd better not go running around the Restricted Section at midnight again."

"But the book dissolving in front of our eyes wasn't even the craziest part – " Rey broke off as Poe blatantly knocked over his broom.

"Morning." Ben's low voice sounded from behind her. Rey scooted over the bench to give him more room to sit. "What was crazy?"

"Just a crazy hard Charms exam tomorrow," Poe lied smoothly with a charming smile. "How's the Slytherin dungeons this morning?"

Ben stared at Poe as if trying to figure out if the Gryffindor was mocking him. "They're… fine. Did you hear someone broke into the Restricted Section last night?"

Rey and Poe exchanged a look. "Oh, really? Did they catch them?"

Ben shrugged and poured some pumpkin juice in a goblet. "I don't think so, but Plutt apparently has some nasty burns."

"Who told you about that?" Rey was rather impressed with the nonchalant tone of Poe's question.

Ben spoke around a bite of eggs, "Saw Snoke in the dungeons corridor on my way up."

Rey dropped her goblet halfway up to her mouth and winced as it crashed to the floor with a dramatic splash of pumpkin juice. She groaned and reached to pick up the goblet. Ben pulled out his wand and waved in several quick circles over the puddle of juice. Rey gave him an embarrassed smile as it disappeared. "Thanks."

Ben nodded and sent his wand next to his plate as he took another bite of eggs. "You're welcome."

They fell into an uncomfortable silence as they are their breakfast. Rey's eyes wandered to Ben's wand, and she reached to pick it up. The wood was jet-black, and it felt heavy in her hands. The handle was blocky with practical vertical grips. "Nice wand."

Ben watched her as he cut up some sausages. "Thanks. It's… ah, my grandfather's."

"Must be nice to have a family heirloom," Rey said with a smile as she set Ben's wand back down. Poe made a noise that sounded like someone had stepped on his toes.

Ben frowned at Poe and grabbed a muffin from a pile in front of the Gryffindor. "Yeah. I didn't know my grandfather, but I like having something personal of his."

"I'm getting some dirty looks from the rest of the team. Probably shouldn't ignore them as captain," Poe said as he stood and propped his broom against his shoulder. "If practice goes through lunch, save me some food."

He swaggered across the Great Hall to the Gryffindor table. Ben stowed his wand back into his robes as he watched Poe join the Gryffindor Quidditch team. "Hux was annoyed that he beat Slytherin to booking the pitch this morning."

Rey gave a short laugh and grabbed her tattered bag from the floor. "He's terrified that you're going to take him out like J.J."

Ben let out a deep laugh. "Now that he's aware of it, I probably won't." A mischievous grin pulled at his mouth. "Although I'm not sure your Bat Bogey Hex quite made up for the boggart thing."

Finn nearly tipped over his plate as his fist hit the table in his laughter. "Please do it."

Rey stood and waited for Ben to take a few muffins from the table before they began walking to the huge double doors. "You have a lot of homework today?"

"Yeah. Didn't get much done yesterday, and we've got practice this evening." Ben's hand carded through his hair. "You two are going to practice Charms? I think I've got to have the quiet of the library today."

Rey nodded and tapped his shoulder before pulling him down to kiss him briefly. "I'll see you for lunch, then?"

Ben smiled shyly and leaned down to better kiss her before he pulled away at the sound Finn clearing his throat uncomfortably. Rey rolled her eyes and swatted Finn's shoulder. "Like you and Poe aren't overly nauseating."

Finn grinned and moved to the steps. "We're just nauseating enough. C'mon."

Once they had climbed a few floors, Finn glanced around them and lowered his voice. "Poe says Ben's grandfather was Vader."

Rey raised an eyebrow slowly. "_Darth _Vader? Palpatine's right hand? No way. His parents helped Skywalker defeat both of them."

Finn shrugged. "Poe's mum was part of the Rebellion, and he's a pureblood. They know all these weird relations."

"So he's related to one of the Darkest wizards? But he's so…" Rey broke off, trying to find the right adjective.

"Adorably shy? Not nearly as Dark as certain other members of his house? Yeah. I know," Finn said with a half-smile. "Maybe we should ask him to confirm instead of just assuming things."

"I suppose we could." Rey nodded and stopped as they reached the seventh floor. "Hey, I want to show you something."

She walked to a blank space of wall and stared up at it, thinking of how much she wanted to help Ben. After several moments, a familiar door appeared in the wall. She opened it and beckoned Finn to follow her from where he stood rooted to the floor. "Uh, are you sure that it's a good idea walk into strangely appearing rooms?"

Rey sighed and shook her head. "This is where we got help for Poe's hands. It's fine."

Finn eyed her for a moment before he sighed and entered the room behind her. The beds she and Poe had spent most of the night on had disappeared and been replaced with large, comfortable chairs. A fire crackled in the fireplace.

Finn whistled softly and approached the bookshelf. "Whoa. Books on potions? You find one that Ben says Snoke is giving him?"

"No, but we only got through the first two shelves." Rey grabbed the first book on the third shelf. "Who knew there were so many weird potions? There's one to make someone sound like a trumpet when they talk? Or turn someone's head into a pumpkin?"

Finn snorted and opened a book. "I'm actually not surprised."

He sank into a chair as he flipped through the book. Rey grinned and took the chair next to him, glad to have Finn with her. He was one of the best in their year at potions.

She had almost finished leafing through her book when Finn made an unidentifiable noise. "What were the ingredients that Snoke had us hand in last week?"

"Unicorn horn and mandrake root. Why?"

Finn chewed on his lower lip for a moment. "Says here that unicorn horn shavings and evenly cut mandrake root are the final ingredients in a Pliable Draught." Rey slowly closed her book and moved to sit on the arm of Finn's chair to read over his shoulder as he continued. "'Causes the drinker to become exceedingly susceptible to ideas, suggestions, and teachings. The drinker will not continuously believe such ideas, suggestions, and teachings unless drunk regularly.'"

Rey pointed to the next paragraph. "'Side-effects include muscle cramping and severe pounding in head that can last for a few hours to a full day depending upon the degree of attempted persuasion.'"

A cold chill settled in her stomach, and she practically ripped the book from Finn's hands before she raced out of the room. Finn yelled after her, but she didn't stop as she weaved through small groups of students on the stairs.

Reaching a thick door on the second floor, she rapped insistently until it opened. "My word, Miss Smith. If you have a question about the Charms exam tomorrow, you could be a little more patient for me to open the door."

Rey held up the heavy potions book and met Professor Organa's gaze. "I need to tell you something. It's about Ben."


	8. Chapter 8

"I think I would notice if my son was drinking a Pliable Drought, Miss Smith." Organa smiled kindly over a cup of tea. "Are you doing all right in potions?"

Rey clutched the thick book from the Room of Requirement and nodded. "I'm doing fine, professor, but Ben told me he was failing potions until Snoke started tutoring him, and I think that's… strange, to say the least."

"_Professor _Snoke, Miss Smith. Some students do not take to potions quickly, and considering how well Ben did on his potions O.W.L., I think the tutoring did him some good," Organa replied in a honeyed voice that irritated Rey. "If only he'd sought tutoring for Transfiguration…"

"But he seems to be spending a lot of time with Professor Snoke. I saw them dueling," Rey said tightly as she tried to push down the growing anger in her chest, "which is not what he's supposed to be tutoring him in."

Organa leaned forward and clasped her hands together. "I've noticed you and Ben have been spending a lot of time together since the Quidditch match. Are you two fighting?"

Rey set the book down on the desk harder than she intended and produced a dull slam. "No, we're not fighting. I'm just concerned for my _boyfriend, _professor. I… I found him in a bad state after he said Snoke gave him something to improve his powers."

Organa let out a slow breath and closed her eyes for a moment. "Occasionally, students will sneak in alcoholic drinks from the Hogs Head. I'm sure he just didn't want to get his friends in trouble."

A monster roared inside Rey's chest. "He doesn't have any friends! How have you never noticed that the last few weeks are the first he hasn't eaten alone?"

"Miss Smith, please calm down." Organa's eyes narrowed, and her eyes flicked to the book on her desk. "Where did you get this? I do believe this book is in the Restricted Section."

The anger outweighed the tingle of guilt in Rey's stomach. "If you would just look – "

Organa raised her hand to cut her off. "Miss Smith, you seem to care for my son, and I'm glad he has someone in his life that seems to care about him. I will look into what you've told me. However, I do need to give you an evening's detention for breaking into the Restricted Section. You didn't need to break multiple rules to tell me you're concerned about Ben."

The kind smile on Organa's face made Rey's insides burn. "Obviously, I did need to break some rules. You won't even believe me with evidence."

"_Smith,_" Organa said sharply, _"_I suggest you leave my office before you earn yourself another detention." Rey made to grab the book, but Organa pulled it away. "I will keep this to look over the ingredients you told me about. I'll see you tomorrow evening for your detention."

Rey opened her mouth to argue, but a voice that sounded like Finn's in the back of her mind told her to stop. Organa obviously believed she knew Ben better than she did in reality. Apparently, stubbornness ran in the family. "Fine. I'll see you tomorrow, professor."

* * *

Finn stared at Rey with a deadpan expression. "Rey, I'm a prefect, and even I would've told you to talk with Ben first before running straight to his mother and professor."

"I knew Ben wouldn't listen to me. He trusts Snoke, and I'm sure Snoke convinced him a long time ago that only he was right," Rey groaned as she ran her hands over her face. "Oh, Merlin. This is so messed up. He never talks with his mum. Why did I do that?"

Finn's hand squeezed her shoulder. "Sheesh, for a Ravenclaw, you're pretty dumb sometimes." At Rey's glare, he laughed. "You care about him. More than care, if I'm right. You two get along so well. You're both massively into Quidditch, you're excellent at Charms, and you're both extremely awkward."

"Hey, now," Rey swatted his hand off her shoulder, "I'm not awkward."

"I liked you when we met on the Hogwarts Express because you were awkward, Rey," Finn said with a small smile. "You weren't trying to impress people like everyone else was. But you have gotten a lot better."

Rey huffed and crossed her arms, deciding to ignore Finn as she focused on her massive screw-up. "So, best case scenario, Snoke is dismissed, and Ben never speaks to me again. Worst case scenario, Organa does nothing, Snoke turns out to be some Dark Wizard, and Ben never speaks with me again." She buried her face in her hands again. "Two weeks into a relationship, and I royally screw it up. Good job, Rey. Really just fantastic work with the only guy who's ever liked you."

"Hey," Finn pulled her hands away from her face. "How about we go find Ben in the library and talk with him?"

Rey nodded slowly and let Finn lead her out of their usual seventh floor classroom. They descended the staircase in silence, automatically avoiding the one that always moved at the same time in the afternoon, and Rey tapped the wand within her robes nervously. Faced with a likely breakup with Ben, she found that she didn't want to remove him from her life. He was quietly intelligent and charming with the way his face would redden at the slightest embarrassment. And dear Merlin, he was a damn good flyer. She wasn't sure when she'd started falling for him.

They reached the first floor and were halfway down the hall when Rey froze. Shouts bounced across the stone walls. She and Finn turned slowly toward the Entrance Hall before racing down the short distance.

Professor Organa stood near the marble staircase, her eyes narrowed at her son. Ben's fists were clenched at his sides, his face bright red. "You don't need to meddle into my life!"

"I'm not meddling; I'm just making sure you're all right," Organa's voice was strained as she smiled and glanced at the gathering crowd. "Now, let's go to my office and talk."

"Why don't we go down to my office to discuss this matter?" the drawling voice of Snoke cut over the beginning of Ben's argument. Snoke's figure hunched near the entrance to the dungeons flanked by the straight-backed forms of Hux and Phasma.

Organa kept her eyes on Ben. "This is between myself and a member of my family, Professor. I will consult you if I feel the need, Professor Snoke."

Snoke swept forward and rested a gnarled hand on Ben's shoulder. "It seems that Mr. Solo isn't comfortable speaking alone with you, which is why these students retrieved me." He stepped in front of Ben. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable speaking with Professor Organa in my office?"

Ben nodded once, and Rey stepped forward to speak. Organa's hand rose to stop her. "Not now, Miss Smith. Fine, we will discuss this downstairs." Her eyes ran over the small crowd that had formed in response to Ben's shouts. "Well? Don't you all have exams to study for?"

The students dispersed, and Rey's eyes met Ben's as he glanced up at her, betrayal crossing his expression before he turned to follow Snoke to the dungeons.

Rey weaved her way through the crowd, her eyes so focused on the disappearing form of Ben that she didn't see the arm that ran into her chest. She dropped heavily to the floor, and she blinked through stars in her vision, an insult on her lips.

A platinum blonde eyebrow quirked up, and Phasma drawled, "If you're going to speak with Professor Snoke, I think he's a bit busy right now."

Fury rose in Rey's chest, and she grabbed her wand from her robes. A flash of blue erupted from the end of her wand, and she pushed past Phasma as large black bats flew from her nose. Rey pushed one of the bats out of the way as she ran down the stairs to the dungeons.

She skidded to a stop by Snoke's door and paused, listening hard through the thick wood.

" – my son Pliable Drought during your tutoring sessions. This student claims you had the class hand in Mandrake root and unicorn horn shavings," Organa's voice drifted from within the room.

"I do make Pliable Drought, but I certainly do not force Ben to take it," Snoke've voice laughed. "St. Mungo's asks for some of the Draught every month to help patients under severe memory modifications."

"Ah, I see." Organa's voice sounded resolute, and Rey made to push open the door when the professor continued, "I do take student concerns very seriously, so you don't mind if I perform a quick charm to check for potion influence?"

"Be my guest."

"This is ridiculous," Ben's voice growled. "You should believe me without performing a spell. I haven't been taking any Pliable Draught."

"Ben, let the good professor do her job. It'll only take a moment, and then you can go back to studying."

Rey's heart slowly sank. Snoke seemed completely willing to let Organa check for potions, so he wasn't hiding anything. She was wrong. She had risked Ben's trust for something stupid and idiotic. He would shut her out again, and she doubted any race around the Quidditch pitch would help things this time.

"Well, everything seems fine. I apologize for the interruption, both of you." A chair scraped against the stone floor, and a loud crash sounded. Rey tensed but relaxed as Organa said, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry." There was a pause followed by, "Good as new. Here we go – "

A long bang echoed from the room. Rey jumped in surprise and pushed opened the door. Organa lay on the floor, her face frozen in shock. Snoke stood over Ben, whispering something in his ear. He turned as he heard Rey, his scarred lips twisting. Rey knelt next to Organa, feeling her chest rise slowly. She examined the professor's face, trying to identify what she had been cursed with until she heard Snoke murmur, "Stun her."

Ben remained still in the chair, his brown eyes wide as he looked between Rey and Snoke. Rey gripped her wand tightly. "Ben, he's using you for something… Look what he did to your mum."

Ben's eyes darted to Professor Organa, and Snoke hissed softly, "Idiot boy."

Rey jumped to the side as a jet of red light flew from Snoke's curved wand.

"Rey!" Finn's unexpected voice yelled from the hallway. Rey looked up in time to see Ben's wand flick out, and a second stunning jinx hit Finn square in the chest. Her friend dropped heavily to the ground.

Another jinx from Snoke narrowly missed Rey and hit her robes, but she stayed still on the floor, her heart pounding as she pretended to be stunned. She didn't have the skill to beat Snoke, and she didn't want to see Ben finally give in and attack her.

"Come. We need to alert the Order members in the Ministry to accelerate our plans." Rey heard Snoke sweep to the door.

Ben's voice sounded near her as he asked quietly, "What about them?"

"They'll see the truth just as you did. Come, Ren. Together, we should make short work of this."

Their footsteps faded down the hall, and Rey pulled herself to her feet. Her shoulder throbbed where she had fallen on it, but she trailed quietly after Snoke and Ben. She paused as she reached the Entrance Hall. Hux, along with a disgruntled looking Phasma and the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team, fell in step behind Ben and Snoke. She watched Ben's head bend to listen to Snoke as they neared the large double doors that led to the castle grounds. Rey raised her wand, trying to find an opening through the group to stun Snoke.

The right door groaned as it slid open, and Rey wavered as she saw the Gryffindor Quidditch team straggle inside. Poe's face lit up, and he waved. "Hey, Ben. Hi, professor. Early evening Slytherin gathering in the grounds?"

"Something like that." Snoke moved past Poe. "Good evening, Mr. Dameron."

Poe raised an eyebrow, and his eyes found Rey. "Dinner, Rey?"

Snoke turned sharply, and Rey flicked her wand sharply. A red jet burst from the end and hit a Slytherin whose name Rey thought was Mitaka as he stepped into the line of fire to protect Snoke. Rey immediately cast a Shield Charm as the Slytherins' wands raised in retaliation.

Rey ran for cover behind a pillar, deflecting several jinxes and hexes with the Shield Charm before she felt her feet trip over something invisible. She looked up to see Hux pointing his wand down at her, his lips pulled in a sneer. "Shame you won't be around to see Solo help us finally bring order to the wizarding world, but then again, no one will be around to mourn you."

Hux raised his wand only to watch it fly out of his hand. Poe nearby, his wand pointed at the Slytherin's face. "I think you're thinking of yourself."

Rey twisted her wand in the air, but Hux dodged her Body-Bind Curse by leaping to the side and into Ben. They both collapsed to the floor, and Ben's thick black wand clattered several meters away. Rey scrambled to her feet and ran to Ben, Poe on her heels. She summoned Ben's wand to her hand as its owner reached for it. Poe yelled behind her, and his body weight slammed into her. They crashed to the floor next to Ben and Hux, and Rey felt something crunch underneath her.

"To the gates!"

Poe pulled himself off her, and Rey got to her knees, seeing her wand next to Ben. Hux swiped her wand from the floor and pulled Ben up by his robes, dragging him out onto the grounds. Rey looked down at the broken black wand in her hands and stuffed it into her robes. She followed Poe to the double doors and watched Hux and Ben follow Snoke out of the gates and Disapparate. The other Slytherins and Phasma followed closely behind.

Poe leaned against the door, his eyes wide in shock. "What the bloody hell just happened?"

**AN: …. My fingers slipped. Leave a note, lovely people. **


	9. Chapter 9

"Apparently, Bala Tik can't perform a proper Stinging Hex," Poe muttered as he examined his hand. A small red splotch marked the back of his hand, and he scratched it idly. "Nope, doesn't hurt."

"Oh." Rey watched Poe numbly as he leaned forward to run a hand over Finn's immobile arm lying on the adjacent cot. He'd been out for a few hours, but Madam Kalonia expected him to wake up soon without terrible side effects from the Stun.

Rey's eyes fixed on Finn's seemingly calm face before she turned back to the broken pieces of Ben's wand. The black stood out against the white sheets of the hospital cot. Ben's fingerprints shown over the wood with glints of the crackling torches on the wall. The top piece hung from the bottom by the dragon heartstring core.

Poe put the hand marked with the failed Stinging Hex on Rey's shoulder with a sigh. "I'm sorry."

Rey blinked up at him, her mind struggling to focus. "For what?"

"For… Ben. For pushing you to be with someone who turned out to be a dark wizard," Poe said with an apologetic smile. "Honestly, he was so awkward and kind, I never expected that. Except for maybe the Slytherin thing."

Rey clutched the broken pieces of the wand in her fist as anger flared in her chest once again. "Ben isn't dark. Or least he didn't choose to become a dark wizard." Her skin turned white around the black wood. "He can't be dark. Don't you dare say he's dark!"

"Okay, okay. Sorry."

Poe put his hand up defensively and turned his head in surprise as Finn weakly croaked, "Yeah, Poe. Don't mess with our Gryffinclaw."

Poe grinned widely and handed Finn a glass of water from bed to the bed before lightly swatting his arm. "Did that Stunning Spell mess with your mind?"

Water sloshed across Finn's chin and neck as he took a drink and rolled his eyes. "She was a hat stall, remember? The Sorting Hat couldn't decide to put her in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw."

"Um, right here, you know," Rey said with a half-annoyed wave.

Finn sat up slowly with a wince and nodded to her. "Hi, Rey. Where's tall, dark, and handsome?"

Rey's stomach sank as she thought of Ben's face glaring at Professor Organa in the Entrance Hall. His hesitation to Stun her. His shy smile. The way his eyes lit up when he talked about Quidditch. The look of concentration when he showed her a spell from Charms.

She clutched the broken wand closer but was broken out of her thoughts as the hospital wing door creaked open. Poe muttered a soft "whoa."

A tall man with grey hair strode into the room. He wore blatant Muggle attire that would offend many witches and wizards with a vest and tight trousers. His wand poked out of a belt loop at his hip. An even taller man who dwarfed the first trailed after him in long brown robes with a hood over his head that concealed his face.

Poe's eyes were as wide as dinner saucers as they followed the two men's progress to one of the first cots where Madam Kalonia hovered over Professor Organa. "Is that Han Solo?"

Rey found herself standing without realizing she had gotten up. "And… Chewbacca?"

Clutching Ben's wand in both hands, Rey peered around the thin screen. Madam Kalonia's wand was raised at Han, and she gestured with it to the cots across the room. "I said I'm not done. And only family visitors right now."

Han's eyes rolled. "Hey, I was told she was hurt, so I came." He and Chewbacca turned to walk to the opposite cots before he shouted over his shoulder, "And Chewie _is_ family!"

Madam Kalonia huffed and turned back to waving her wand over Organa. Rey stepped beside the her, holding onto the broken wand as if it were Ben's large, warm hand. "Will she be all right?"

The witch's eyes flicked to look at her before returning to her wand-waving. "It's an unusual curse, but I dealt with it before in the days of Palpatine." Her wand began producing light blue smoke. "But I need _quiet_ to do it properly."

Rey nodded and glanced at Poe, who wavered as if conflicted between supporting her, staying with Finn, and going to talk to Han Solo. She sighed and gave him a small nod as she followed him to the two men.

" – can stay in the _Falcon's _trunk for at least week," Han was saying in a lowered voice. He glanced up to Rey and straightened his back. "Hey, kid. And the young Dameron."

Poe's eyes widened, and excitement overtook his face. "You know me?"

"Yeah. Your mother's a good woman. Helped us out of a tight spot a few years back." The side of Han's mouth quirked up in a cocky half-grin.

Rey had seen that exact grin on Ben's face while flying. Something inside her seemed to force her out of the numbness she'd felt since watching Ben Disapparate. "You have the _Millennium Falcon?_ The one you and Professor Organa and Luke Skywalker rode in during Palpatine's rule?"

Han bumped the tall man sitting next to him, who had still not removed his hood, with his elbow. "Yeah. And Chewie." He rubbed his hands together. "Finally got that Flying Charm fixed after Ducain's curse."

"Mr. Solo? Leia is awake," Madam Kalonia said from behind Rey. "Only a few minutes, and then she needs rest."

Han stood and moved to stand next to Organa's bed. Chewbacca adjusted his wand inside his robes as he followed his friend.

Rey turned to Poe, her heart pounding in a surge of adrenaline. "Let's go."

"What? Kalonia still has to check us out," Poe said with an incredulous look. "Doesn't your ankle hurt from that Tripping Jinx?"

Rey took Poe's arm and pulled him toward the doors. "We're going to find Ben."

Poe hesitated and pulled her arm to stop her. "And what about Finn? He got hurt because of Ben."

"I… I don't think Ben had a choice," Rey said softly, "or at least not a choice that wasn't fogged by a potion he's been probably drinking for years. Please, Poe, I know he's not meant to be dark."

Poe stared at her for a long moment, his eyes flicking back and forth over her face. "All right. But we need Finn, too."

He turned back to where his boyfriend watched with an eyebrow raised. Rey heard a soft murmur of their voices from where she stood near the doors.

"Miss Smith, I do believe I told you to sit down," Madam Kalonia said from behind her.

Rey jumped and turned, rubbing her neck unconsciously. "Uh, yes, I just… wanted to go up to my dormitory quick."

"Absolutely not. I still have to examine you." Kalonia pointed with her wand to a cot. "Sit."

"Er, of course," Rey said slowly as she took one step to the cot. "Ah, you know, my ankle is killing me, and I have a headache. D'you have anything for pain?"

Kalonia's stern expression softened slightly, and she gave a curt nod. "Of course. I'll get that for you, and then I'll take a look at that ankle."

She bustled back to her office, and Rey gestured to Poe, glancing at Han to make sure he was still busy talking with Organa. Finn got to his feet and stabilized himself against Poe's shoulder for a moment before they both followed her out the doors.

She took off down the hall, barely pausing when Poe cleared his throat and said, "Uh. You do know Ben left with an apparent crowd of Dark Wizards, right?"

"Another thing to add: we're not fully qualified yet. Why am _I_ the one thinking this through? I thought you were the Ravenclaw in this relationship," Finn grumbled softly.

"Shush," Rey hissed. "I need your wand."

She held out her hand expectantly, and Finn raised an eyebrow slowly. "_And _you're wandless. Good. Great. At least you won't trip the Trace since you're not even seventeen yet. We're not – "

Rey turned to Poe with a raised eyebrow. "Do you want to do it, then?"

Poe paused for a moment and then nodded with a grin. "Yeah." He slipped out his wand, hoisted his Quidditch bag higher over his shoulder, and tapped the end of his wand against the dirty white door. "Why aren't we taking brooms?"

The door clicked open, and Rey climbed inside the _Millennium Falcon_. "Because frankly my broom is too old for long trips. And this is supposed to have Shield Charms up the wazoo."

"I'm sleeping in the back. Let me know when you've got a plan 'cause I see no way this will end well," Finn grumbled as he lay across the backseat bench that looked far too long to actually belong in the 70s-style vehicle.

Poe slipped in beside Rey and whistled softly. "And it's comfortable." He ran his hands over the various buttons on the dashboard, his leg bouncing in excitement. "All right, what _is_ the plan, chief?"

Rey looked down at the pieces of Ben's wand still clutched in her right hand. "We find Ben."

Finn gave an exasperated groan from the back. "Thanks, captain obvious."

Rey examined the dashboard that had far too many buttons to be logical and tentatively pressed a button. The engine roared to life. "Shut it, Finn. Snoke said something about alerting Ministry members."

Finn leaned against the front seats. "So he's making a move for the Ministry. What's the endgame? Dominate the wizarding world? Follow Palpatine's example and eliminate Muggleborns? And why did he give Ben that Pliable Draught when he apparently has so many other followers?"

Rey frowned at the dashboard and pressed a button only to quickly press it again as fire briefly spurt out of the gas exhaust. "I don't know, but there's gotta be a way to reverse the Draught." She frowned at the console and then remembered watching her various Muggle caretakers drive. Looking down at her feet, she pressed the bigger pedal on the left with her foot and pulled the gear shift. The car lurched forward. "Or negate it or find some way for Ben to see the truth."

Finn tapped his fingers against Rey's chair. "Shame we don't have that book. I bet there's some sort of antidote or reversal potion. Then again, it is a Draught; most don't have antidotes."

Rey instinctively pulled up on the steering wheel, and the car shook slightly before lifted into the air. She grinned. It would be an adjustment, but the car responded similarly to a broomstick.

Poe's hands flew out to catch himself on the dashboard as she inadvertently jerked the wheel, but as he looked back at Finn, mouth was in a wide smile. He bent down and opened his Quidditch bag. After a moment of rummaging in which his Keeper gloves, a set of goggles, and an old sock were deposited on the seat bench, he produced another small bag. "We don't have the book, do we?"

Finn snatched the small bag and pulled out the thick that did not look like it could fit into such a bag. "How'd you get this?" He peered into the bag and frowned. "There's a bunch of potion vials and Charms books in here. And… a wand?" He pulled the long, thin wand out and examined it. "You stole Professor Organa's bag."

"Stole? Why, I'm hurt," Poe put a hand on his chest to feign severe offense. "I just borrowed it. Temporarily. You know. The professors are meant to help us, and I figured she wouldn't object to us using her things to find her son." He looked at the wand guiltily. "I didn't know her wand was in there. Who carries their wand in a bag instead of their robes?"

"Probably an old habit from the days of Palpatine," Rey said quietly as she watched them race past the stars in the night sky.

"You might as well use it since yours broke," Poe said as he handed Organa's wand to her. He then peered out of the window. "At this rate, we'll reach London in less than an hour."

"I guess the only place we can go is the Ministry. We have no idea where else to look," Finn said as he leafed through the potions book.

Poe reached forward and played with the knob that presumably controlled the _Falcon's _radio to hear static. "Hopefully we can warn the Ministry. I just hope Snoke doesn't have too many more supporters."

Rey let out a long breath and shut her eyes for a moment. "Ben would know what to do… He said he was at the Ministry a lot when he lived with his uncle."

Poe perked up immediately as he did anytime someone mentioned Luke Skywalker. "He got to see what Skywalker did as an Auror?"

"Watch out!" Finn yelled and threw half his body over the seat to grab the steering wheel.

The _Falcon _banked hard to the right, and Rey fell against the door. She was about to yell at Finn when she saw the hooded figures sweep by on brooms. She pushed Poe off her and pulled the wheel up to gain more altitude. The car shuddered as something hit the back wheel.

"Isn't there supposed to be a powerful Shield Charm on this thing?" Poe began pressing random buttons on the dashboard, and Rey winced as fire erupted again from the exhaust and lit the tail of a passing broom. One of the back passenger doors flew open and smashed into another hooded figure, knocking him off the broom. Finn yelled and grabbed onto the head rest in front of him, using his wand to close the door before he fell out.

She heard shouting from their attackers, and she turned the car to ram into a cluster of them. Poe hit another button, and sparks flew out from somewhere underneath the car. Finn scoffed and began rolling down his window. "What in the name of Merlin are the sparks good for?" He pointed his wand out the small space and shot a Stunning Spell.

A collection of spells hit the bottom of the car, and it shuddered again before starting to drop. Rey pulled up hard on the steering wheel, but the car did not respond. She slipped down under the wheel and pulled out Organa's wand. She tapped the wiring with it and frowned as the wand seemed to resist her command. She tapped again and shook her head, panic rising in her chest.

Poe hit another button, and Rey's door swung open. The car lurched as another spell hit it, and Poe grabbed at her hood as she began to slide out of the car. Her arm slipped out of the sleeve of her too-big robes, and she swung out with a scream tearing from her throat. Poe grabbed her wrist as she clutched tightly to Organa's wand, and she scrabbled at the base of the car with her free hand.

Poe pressed another button with his free hand, and Rey glimpsed a transparent Shield Charm finally envelope the descending car. It began to stabilize in the air, and Rey heard another hooded figure shout to the others.

"Rey!" Finn shouted a spell, and someone on a broom shot past her to avoid the jet of yellow that he produced. The wind made Rey's legs swing out wildly, and she felt her wrist sliding out of Poe's grip.

She barely kept hold of Organa's wand – her only means of defense – as she fell from the car.

The wind whipped around her face, blurring her senses as she struggled to focus on casting a Cushioning Charm when she hit a hard figure. She didn't need to see a face behind the hood as she gasped out, "Ben."


	10. Chapter 10

Rey didn't remember having fallen asleep.

Her eyelids were too heavy to open. The last thing she remembered was falling against Ben. A Quidditch match? She was lying on something soft, so she must be in the hospital wing after falling on the pitch.

A clock ticked rather obnoxiously from somewhere on her right. She did not recall the hospital wing having any clocks, but then again, she had only ever been there a few times for a Quidditch injury and some potion for the flu.

Her eyelids opened and immediately closed. Maybe she would just rest some more. She would need it if she was going to spend her day studying. She wondered who'd won the game. The last match of the year was soon, which would decide the Quidditch Champion of the year. Usually there was someone else in the hospital wing who would be able to tell her the score.

She curled the fingers of one hand and stopped as a surge of adrenaline hit her. Ravenclaw had won that match. Several weeks ago, in fact. Ben had caught her, set her down, and then walked away with a shy smile. They hadn't even been dating then.

She forced her eyes open with all her strength, her muscles trembling from the adrenaline in her system. The odd surroundings of a small, dark room with a clutter of old couches and chairs met her eyes. Definitely not the hospital wing.

For a moment, she thought she was in the Room of Requirement until her memories finally flooded back. Ben's Disapparation with Snoke. A cursed Professor Organa in the hospital wing. Ben catching her fall, again. Han Solo.

Merlin's stars, she was going to be in so much trouble for leaving school and stealing the Millennium Falcon.

She sat up and weaved through the jumble of random furniture to the door and tried the handle. She wasn't surprised when it didn't budge, so she reached for her wand, only to groan as she realized her wand and robes were both gone. She sighed and crouched down, looking under the crack of the door.

The feet of four figures stood in the next room. One walked around a piece of furniture to another, but Rey could not hear the footsteps or any voices. She tapped lightly on the door to confirm her suspicion that a Silencing Charm was on the door. Another set of feet began toward the door, and Rey scrambled away, looking around for something to defend herself with, not that anything would be much help against a wand and the Unforgivable Curses. She grabbed an old, rusty candlestick that had tipped over onto the floor.

The door made a squelching sound as it magically unlocked, and Rey crouched behind one of the musty chairs, her heart pounding wildly on her chest. Heavy footsteps shuffled into the room, and Rey looked up to see Ben staring down at her.

His Slytherin robes had been exchanged for black ones, and his hair, usually curly and messy from flying, was carefully manicured out of his face. Rey stood quickly and started toward him before stopping. Those shy brown eyes had a strange look to them, as if they were glass. She took a step closer, studying the young man's face. "Ben? What happened? Where am I?"

Ben seemed to hesitate for several moments. His skin looked pallid, his body tense, and when he grabbed her upper arm, she felt his fingers trembling. "How long was I out? Ben, please, tell me something."

"You've been out for a while." Ben's voice was soft with an unmistakable gentleness. _His_ voice. It didn't match the strange glassy look in his eyes. Not all of him had been erased by Snoke's potion.

He pulled her out of the room, not roughly but not with the kind hand he had once pressed against her neck during a kiss. She intentionally bumped their torsos together, hoping to feel for a wand in his black robes. She didn't feel anything, but Ben let out a small gasp and tightened his grip on her arm.

They entered what was either a drawing room or a parlour of what Rey began to realize was part of a large mansion. The house was clearly old with wooden décor she thought was from the Victorian era but with touches of magic from the same period. She remembered the ghost of Professor Yoda in History of Magic explaining how it was a fashion at the time to charm the flowers of the rugs and wallpaper to grow and move. A fire crackled in a fireplace, but instead of a merry feeling, Rey felt a cold chill settle into her stomach.

Phasma stood near the fireplace, her own black robes form-fitted to her body. Her hands were clasped in front of her with one holding her wand in a comfortable grip. Mitaka, one of the Slytherin Chasers, stood on the other side in a similar stance. Hux's frame was shadowed by the fire's light as he stood in front of it. Rey had to roll her eyes. It was as if he was copying a dramatic Muggle movie.

Hux turned away from the fire and took a few steps away from the hearth. He did not wear wizarding robes, but rather a black suit. He adjusted the cuff link of one and gave Ben a brief nod. "Leader Snoke is in the fire."

Ben let go of Rey's arm and moved to crouch in front of the fire. Rey could see just the top of Snoke's twisted forehead in the flames over a couch. She peeled her eyes away from Ben and fixed Hux with a hard stare. "What am I doing here? Where's Finn and Poe?"

"My family home." Hux adjusted the other cuff link and gave her a bored expression. "Tell me, why were you with Han Solo?"

Rey crossed her arms over her chest. "Why were you with Snoke? You're from an old family. You'd get a Ministry job and live comfortably. Why join him to start a war?"

"Leader Snoke isn't starting a war. He's fixing what's wrong with the wizarding world." Hux examined his immaculate fingernails for a moment.

Anger flared in Rey's chest at his apparent lack of disinterest in her and the coming violence. "_Leader _Snoke is delusional." She crossed her arms, feeling inexplicably bold despite being wandless. "The Ministry won't go along with whatever he's planning."

"Ah, but the Ministry already is." Hux tugged down his suit jacket to rid it of wrinkles and finally met her gaze. "The coup will be over before most even realize it happened." He gave a small wave of his hand, and Phasma took a few steps forward.

"Snoke believes you can help our cause with some proper persuading. I believe you're just a distraction for his 'secret weapon'." His thin fingers air quoted the last two words, and he turned to the side to watch Ben.

Snoke's face had disappeared from the fire, and Ben glanced back at them. Hux gave another nod. Ben picked up a small pot from the mantle and took a handful of powder. He threw it into the flames and stepped into them once they took on an emerald hue.

Rey heard her heart thump loudly in her chest as time seemed to slow. Hux held his left wrist with his right hand behind his back, his posture stiff as his gaze turned to watch her carefully. Phasma's arm raised to point her wand at Rey's chest. Ben's eyes were wide in horror, and his arm raised as he pulled out a wand within the green flames. Rey jumped.

Several loud crashes happened at once. The couch Rey hit toppled over, and she covered her head, seeing a green flash of light pass over her. A portrait of an older man with greying red hair crashed to the floor. Its occupant glared at Rey and shouted something indistinguishable over the sounds of Hux's yell.

Rey uncurled from the floor and felt her heart skip a beat. Ben stood over her, his wand arm raised as a translucent Shield Charm pulsed out of his wand. No, Rey did a double-take. _Her _wand. A small, silvery owl flew behind him, knocking Mitaka to the floor.

"The orders were not to kill her," Ben growled in a low voice.

Rey spotted Phasma motionless on the floor, and she moved slowly toward the blonde to avoid attracting Hux's attention. Hux stood with his own wand raised, his eyes narrowed at Ben. "Snoke said the potion for her was experimental. It's not like he really cared if she survived it or not."

The silver owl flew to perch on Ben's shoulder. "I care."

Rey snatched Phasma's fallen wand and shot a curse at Hux around Ben's shield. He blocked it, and Ben made a complicated motion with the wand. The Shield Charm broke, but ropes twisted out of the end of the wand and snaked across the floor to Hux. The redhead backed away and fired several curses at the wiggling ropes until they disintegrated.

Ben's Patronus faded as Rey stood next to him, both wands aimed at Hux's chest. No one moved except for Rey's wand in Ben's trembling hand.

Hux's eyes darted between them, as if he was calculating if he could win an outright fight or which curses he needed to distract them long enough to get out of the room.

Rey glanced between Hux's panting form and Ben's face. She had no idea how long it had been since he'd last taken a Pliable Draught, nor how entranced he was by Snoke, but he seemed to be on her side, at least for now.

After a long moment, Hux said, "I knew Leader Snoke was wrong to bring you on with that Draught. You never acted like a true pureblood nor were you particularly interested in the cause, especially after you caught sight of the little charity case."

Ben's eyebrows pulled together, and he looked genuinely confused. "Snoke's… just been helping me." His eyes darted to the fire, which had lost their emerald color. "We're just helping the Ministry."

Hux snorted, which Rey thought was a very undignified noise for someone who seemed to be trying to look noble. She might've snorted, too, if the confusion in Ben's voice wasn't so palpable.

"Ben, he's trying to overthrow the Ministry, not help it," Rey said in her most gentle of voices.

"Aw, Ben Solo is confused," Hux sneered. "Snoke would have been better off just giving you poisons instead of trying to influence your mind."

"What – "

The relative peace broke again as the door burst open, and spells jettisoned around the room. People in black robes like the ones Ben wore backed inside, defending themselves against an onslaught of spells. Rey nearly laughed with relief as she saw Finn and Poe accompanied by Han Solo, Chewbacca, and a small variety of students in robes from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff.

Hux took advantage of the distraction to swipe his wand upwards in a harsh motion. Ben let out a horrible gasp, and Rey watched in horror as he collapsed to the floor, blood spilling out of a gash in his chest. She fired a retaliating curse at Hux and didn't bother to see if she hit him before she dropped to her knees by Ben's side.

The flying spells seemed to miss them as she pressed her hands over the awful gash. "Ben? Ben, it's going to be all right." His face was a ghastly grey color, and Rey picked up her fallen wand. She stared at the wound, her breath shallow and panicked. She couldn't recall any healing spells. "Help!"

"Ben!"

The attacking group had forced their way further inside. Rey distantly thought she saw Finn and Poe dueling Hux, but her eyes remained on Ben as someone else joined her side.

Han Solo put a hand on the side of Ben's dreadfully pale face. "Ben."

Ben's brown eyes seemed to be having trouble focusing on Han, and he croaked something unintelligible. Rey squeezed his hand tightly. Han stood and waved someone over.

Chewbacca Stunned one of the last black-robed fighters and pushed the toppled couches and chairs out of his way with magic. His brown hood flopped off his head as he knelt by Ben, and a heavily bearded face framed by long, brown hair murmured quiet charms as he ran a thick wand over the gash in Ben's chest.

The blood flow began to slow, but Rey couldn't take her eyes off Ben's face. His brown eyes had closed. Chewbacca gently pushed her out of the way as he repeated his spell. She ripped her eyes away from Ben to find Poe helping Finn stand up.

Han got to his feet and looked around the scene, his wand back in his belt loop. "Who the hell cast this spell?"

"I did," Hux's voice said from a corner. He stood from the shadow, his red hair disheveled. "_Avada kedavera_."

Han jumped into the flash of green light before it could hit Rey.


	11. Chapter 11

Han Solo seemed to fall in slow motion. Hands that should have thrown out to catch himself instead remained at his sides lifelessly as he hit the carpeted floor with a dull thud. No one moved.

The room's silence was deafening.

Ben made a strangled noise in his throat and tried to sit up. Rey put her free hand on his shoulder to keep from ripping his still-seeping wound. Her throat felt tight, and she was dimly aware of something wet on her face. Ben's breath was fast and shallow. The hand that gripped hers held on tight enough to bruise.

Chewbacca howled, the sound reminiscent of a wolf's cry. His thick wand left the wound on Ben's chest to swipe through the air. A blue flash followed by a loud _bang _blinded Rey for a moment. Hux flew back against the wall with a cringe-worthy thump and crashed onto the floor motionless.

Finn stared at Hux, leaning against Poe for support. A burn oozed from a hole in his trousers. "Did you…?"

"No," Chewbacca growled in a low, gravelly voice. He crossed to Hux, and ropes jumped out of the end of his thick wand to wrap around the thin redhead's body. He then crossed to Han and knelt next to him, his expression unreadable under the thick hair and beard. Slowly, he rolled his immobile friend onto his back and gave another choked howl.

Ben brushed Rey's hand off his shoulder and sat up. He gave a muffled yell of pain but slid across the floor to the immobile Han Solo. "Dad… No, no, no, no…"

His trembling hand brushed the side of Han's face. Tears and blood from his wound dripped and mixed onto the vest in thick circles. His shoulders shook in silent sobs, and he let out an anguished noise that broke Rey's heart. His forehead rested Han's chest as his hands clutched the man's shoulders.

Finn limped to stand next to him and whispered, "_Lumos._" His wand tip light brightly to contrast the dim lighting of the room, and he slowly raised it into the air. Poe followed suit, his hand clutching Finn's free one tightly. Rey pulled herself to her feet and lifted Phasma's wand into the air, swallowing past the tight lump in her throat. The other students that had joined their fight clustered around Han Solo, the lights of their wands twinkling in the dark room amidst the chaos.

The quiet of their vigil was only broken by Ben Solo's gasping sobs and Chewbacca's grief-stricken groans.

And they mourned for the loss of a great hero.

Chewbacca left the room with Han Solo's body wrapped in his great brown cloak.

Ben stared at the floor where Han had fallen. Rey put an arm around his shoulders, wincing as she saw his blood dripping slowly onto the carpet. "You need to lie down."

"He…" Ben sucked in a painful gasp. "He was right there." His shoulders trembled. "Back in the action. And I couldn't save him."

His hand was over his chest, his nails digging into the fresh wound. Rey gently pulled the hand away, and Ben blinked up at her as if just realizing she was there. Tears streamed down his face, and suddenly, his arms were around her, his head on her shoulder. Rey held onto his shaking frame as tight as possible. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Ben."

"It's my fault… All my fault… And my mother…" Ben whispered against her shoulder. "She'll hate me forever…"

"You didn't cast the Killing Curse." Rey ran a hand through the dark locks of Ben's hair. "You didn't choose to kill anyone. You saved me, remember?"

Ben moved to meet her gaze. Behind the tears, his brown eyes were bright, free of the glassy look that had plagued them just a few hours before. "But I helped Snoke... _Snoke._ He told me no one would die. And he… and almost you…" His eyes found Hux's unconscious form nearby. Red sparks erupted from her wand clutched his hand. "I'll kill him. I'll kill them both."

Rey placed her hands on both sides of Ben's face, brushing away the tears with her thumbs. "You're not a killer, Ben Solo." She saw the protest in his tear-streaked face and pressed her lips to his before he could answer.

He kissed her desperately, as if they could go back to a time when they had slipped into corners of Hogwarts and pretended no one else but each other existed. A time when Han Solo still drove an enchanted car smuggling cauldrons and magical creatures with Chewbacca.

Her lips tasted salty as they pulled away and rested their foreheads against each other's. Ben's eyes drifted closed for a moment, and his shoulders sagged. His hand pressed over the slowly weeping wound on his chest.

Rey took his hand and slowly pushed him back so that he was lying down on his back again. "You need to rest."

Ben half-heartedly tried to get up, but exhaustion laced his features. Rey interlaced their fingers and ran her thumb over the back of his hand. She held out Phasma's wand, struggling to remember the incantation that Chewbacca had used to start healing the wound.

Three students straggled into the room with a loud noise, and Rey tore her gaze away from Ben's face. The legs of Teedo, one of Rey's fellow Chasers, seemed to be unable to stop dancing, and Gryffindor Jessika Pava's hand randomly flailed into the air. Temmin Wexley held onto a thick black box, his right eye twitching occasionally. He handed it to Poe with a half-smile. "There was a portrait that was pretty bent on keeping us away. Somehow jinxed us a few times before we got it off the wall. Pava's pretty sure the frame had some dark magic."

Poe opened the box, his tired eyes lighting up. "Thank you. I didn't expect that to go so smoothly, even considering the jinxes." He picked up several small vials and squinted at their labels. "Alihotsy Draught, Invigoration Draught, Muffling Draught. Sheesh, lots of Draughts. Pliable Draught."

His eyes met Rey's, and she felt a cold chill run down her spine as she glanced at Ben. His eyes had closed, and his tear-soaked face looked whiter than parchment. "Any healing potions?"

Vials clinked together as Poe rummaged through the box. "Murtlap essence? Doesn't that do something?"

He directed the question at Finn, who nodded. "Yeah. Supposed to help heal wounds." He took the vial from Poe and handed it off to Rey. It gave a small pop as she uncorked it, and she slowly let the liquid drip onto Ben's wound. His eyes flickered half open, and he let out a soft hiss. The wound steamed and started to kit together further.

"Aha!" Poe held up another vial like it was the Quidditch Cup. "Veritaserum." He looked to Hux, who still had not moved in the ropes that held him. "I know it's frowned upon, but he did just kill..."

"Do it," Ben hissed through gritted teeth. "He deserves it."

Poe hesitated for a moment before walking to Hux. He pointed his wand in a sharp jab, and Hux sucked in a long gasp as he was forced back into consciousness. Poe tapped his wand against the vial, and the cork popped off before he forced the liquid into Hux's mouth. The redhead's throat spasmed as he swallowed in shock.

Poe squatted down in front of him, frowning at the redhead. "What's your full name?"

There was a strange look on Hux's face, and he answered in a monotone voice, "Armitage Brandol Hux."

"No one would admit to that name willingly," Poe snorted before becoming serious. "What's Snoke planning?"

Hux paused, his face twitching as he struggled under the potion's influence. "He's ensuring the wizarding bloodlines remain pure. The Ministry is mixing with Muggles more and more because of Mudbloods and marriages to Muggles. It's causing chaos in both our worlds."

Poe glanced back at Rey and Ben, his gaze settling on Ben for a moment. "And what about Ben? What did Snoke want with him?"

"He's from a legendary bloodline." He gave a harsh laugh. "The nitwit fell for the story that his magic was weak before he even took the Pliable Draught."

Anger rose up in Rey's chest, and her grip on Ben's hand tightened. He hadn't had a friend for years; Snoke's fake kindness likely spoke volumes to a young Ben Solo. She wanted to kiss him again, to reassure him that he had her on his side, but those brown orbs had closed. His chest rose and fell in shallow breaths.

"The Pliable Draught takes ages to work, especially at the magnitude Snoke wanted. Why didn't he just Imperius Ben? Less work that way, right?" Poe's voice was harder than Rey had ever heard it. His fury at Ben's manipulation mirrored her own.

"Most are mindless under the Imperius Curse and can't perform their full magic. Snoke says if Solo'd actually used a wand that chose him instead of Vader's, he could destroy most Ministry members in a few flicks." A look of severe jealously crossed Hux's face. "Snoke favored him over the rest of us who actually shared his vision just because that prat inherited both Skywalker and Solo magic."

Poe's back straightened. "Then why didn't Snoke take him to the Ministry?"

The hairs on Rey's arms rose. She'd forgotten about the Ministry and Snoke's location after Ben's injury and Han's… Tears welled in her eyes again, and she forced the thought away. They could honor Han by keeping the Ministry out of a crazy man's control, but to do that, they needed Hux's information.

"He wanted to take over quietly and discreetly take out Muggle lovers. Solo was to be a secret weapon in case Skywalker reunited with his friends." Hux's fingers folded into fists. "He was going to cast a spell from the Department of Mysteries to erase Ben Solo from memory and fully create Kylo Ren, an enforcer for his new regime."

Rey looked down at Ben sharply, her eyes wide. She couldn't imagine not remembering him, his shy eyes and messy hair. The way he smiled while on a broom. Their kiss in the air.

Poe gave an unsure laugh. "There isn't a spell that can wipe an entire community's memory, Hux. Everyone knows about Ben Solo; it was in the _Prophet _when he was born as the son of heroes Han Solo and Leia Organa."

"Dark magic mixed with a potion Snoke's been brewing for months." Hux's lips curled into a sneer. "His magic combined with Solo's would be more than enough with some apparatus his followers in the Department of Mysteries created a few years ago. We would be unchallenged after the wizarding world saw what Vader's grandson could do."

Poe sighed and stood slowly, his wand shaking slightly in his hand. He looked back to Rey again with a tight expression. "Professor Organa and some other faculty members went to the Ministry."

"I'm sure they can handle it. I mean, they're way more qualified than us, right?" Finn asked from the chair he had sunk into.

Rey frowned and turned her gaze back to Ben. The murtlap essence had closed his wound enough so that an angry red gash crossed his chest. "They don't know what Snoke's up to, but then again, I think he was counting on Ben joining him. He was going to Floo before Phasma attacked me."

As if on command, the flames in the fireplace turned emerald. A tall woman spun into view, and Phasma stepped out, brushing ash from her immaculate black robes. Rey froze in shock. Ben's spell had knocked her out, but no one had noticed her leave in the chaos of the battle and Han's death. Phasma smiled coldly, raising a wand that Rey assumed was stolen.

The flames darkened to emerald again, and Snoke's hunched and twisted form stepped out to join her. His eyes found Ben on the floor, and his cruel smile gave Rey a shiver. "Thank you for taking care of my apprentice. I did warn Hux not to harm him."

Rey stood and raised Phasma's wand. Finn and Poe stood on either side of her, their own wands raised defensively. Before she could come up with a scathing retort, a third figure stepped from the fire.

Leia Organa's spell hit Snoke square in the back. "Ben's not yours."


	12. Chapter 12

Rey fully expected Snoke to go flying across the room, or fall onto the floor, or even sprout terrible warts across his entire body. Instead, he took a small step forward as if absorbing the impact of a casually thrown Quaffle.

He turned leisurely. His wand – curved like a talon – tapped against his other hand. "Leia. I had hoped we could talk under different circumstances, but as usual, you jump right to the action without thinking."

Snoke's wand snapped out in a blur, but Organa was fast. The spell blocked with a _crack. _Their wands pointed to each other at the ready, their eyes never leaving the other's face. The room was silent for the second time in mere hours. Rey did not dare breathe. Organa's wand flicked forward, and a flurry of spells shattered the apparent spell of silence.

Ben began pulling himself to his feet with the help of one of the couches. His skin was far too pale, and his hands trembled against the piece of furniture. Rey bent to push him back down, pressing her hands to his broad shoulders. "You're too weak, Ben."

Shouts and cracks from outside the room made her jump, and she looked up to see the several of the students that had accompanied Han starting to retreat from the attacks of older witches and wizards dressed in black robes.

"Rey!" Finn yelled as he pushed her aside. The air rushed out of Rey's lungs as her side crashed painfully into the side of the couch. The brunt of Phasma's spell hit Finn's shoulder, and he dropped to the floor where Ben had lain, his body rigid from a full body bind.

Phasma blocked Poe's retaliating jinx, but before they could exchange more than half a dozen spells, Phasma's knees locked. She fell to the floor, and Rey turned to see Ben already moving his borrowed wand above his head.

The ornamental carved snakes that decorated the ceiling began to writhe and slither down the walls to the floor. Their tongues danced in silent hisses, and Ben flicked the wand again. The wooden snakes slid across the floor, weaving around the dancing feet of the dueling Snoke and Organa, to the door and began wrapping around the legs of the black robed attackers.

Phasma pulled herself onto her side and shot several red jets at the snakes. Poe shot a Stunning Spell at her, and she rolled out of the way. Flames erupted out of her stolen wand with a long swipe, and Rey jumped to spray water from the end of her wand. The flames fizzled out, and Phasma was back on her feet, edging toward an absurdly-expressioned Hux.

Rey fired spell after spell with Poe, but Phasma blocked and dodged each one with shocking ease, as if she had been training for years to duel multiple opponents. After seeing Ben practicing with Snoke, she likely had trained for this very moment.

The back of Rey's mind screamed for her to turn back and free Finn of the body bind curse, but she knew without her help, Poe would likely become overwhelmed. They were students, Quidditch players, but they had not extensively trained to duel someone as adept as Phasma. Rey didn't precious time imagining how badly outnumbered they would be against Snoke. They took turns recasting a Shield Charm while the other fired offensive spells, but Phasma held her own.

Phasma was close to Hux now. A few well-aimed curses, and she would have time to free the redhead and clear his head of the Veritaserum. If Hux was as well-trained as Phasma, Rey and Poe would likely be the next victims of a Killing Curse. Poe slowly moved to the side, trying to get himself between the two, but their Shield Charms no longer concealed both of them at the same time.

Phasma's lips curled into a sneer. Her stolen wand snapped out, and the wand Rey held flew from her hand, landing a short distance from Phasma's feet. The blonde woman pointed her wand at Poe as he did the same. Her usually immaculate hair and robes were disheveled from the fight. Poe's sides expanded rapidly as he pulled in air. They stood at a temporary stalemate as the rest of the battle raged around them.

Rey stepped toward the fallen wand and froze with wide eyes as Phasma swiped her wand up. Poe jumped out of the way, and Phasma raised her wand again. She could see the words forming on her lips, the same ones that had killed Han. Rey made to lunge for her stolen wand, but stopped as a block of black raced in front of her.

The green light that flashed from Phasma reflected as it bounced off the transparent shield that Ben produced. The jet hit the wall above them, showering the floor and the black robes of both Ben and Phasma with bits of dust and paper. Rey and Poe exchanged a glance. Shields generally could not stop the Killing Curse's path. Phasma seemed to realize the same thing, and she began barraging Ben's shield with curse after curse. Every green jet ricocheted off the shield, destroying the wall and décor of the room.

Ben gripped the wand with both hands, his eyes wide in an unreadable expression. He took a step forward, and the next Killing Curse bounced directly backward. Phasma barely had time to form the shock on her face before her own curse hit her chest.

The shield shimmered as it disappeared, and Ben staggered forward. Rey ran to his side, taking his trembling hand. He looked to her, his voice soft as he said, "People weren't supposed to die…"

Rey bit her lip and looked over her shoulder. Poe helped free Finn from the body bind. Snoke and Organa were still locked in their duel. The students still fought the older witches and wizards outside of the room, but even with the wooden snakes helping to fell the black-robed attackers, Rey could see the fallen forms of more students than Snoke's followers. "People were always going to die. Coups like these don't happen without violence." She kissed the side of Ben's face. "You can end the fighting before we're all killed."

Ben looked to his fighting mother and let out a long breath. "She can't die, too. _You _can't die." He turned and crossed the space between himself and Hux and grabbed the lapel of the redhead's now wrinkled suit. "Did Snoke order you to kill my father and Rey?"

Hux smiled and blinked a little too slowly. Good. The Veritaserum still ran in his system. "We were ordered to kill those close to you who would not join us." A coughing laugh racked his thin frame. "If only Phasma hadn't been so eager."

Ben snarled and shoved Hux's head back against the wall with a painful-sounding crack. He stood, and his expression softened for a moment as his eyes rested on Rey before they turned to Snoke fighting his mother. A fury as Rey had never imagined covered his face, and he raised Rey's wand.

A flash of blue threw the dueling Organa and Snoke apart. Organa's small frame collapsed neatly into a couch while Snoke landed in a heap a few meters from the fire. The sound reverberated throughout the room, and the chaos of the battle just outside the door died down. Both sides of the fight slowly lowered their wands, watching with baited breath as Ben cast another spell.

A white flash parted the clutter of furniture as Ben stepped evenly toward the twisted figure of the potions master. He cast off the black robes, leaving a tattered, loose green shirt that displayed the barely sealed gash across his chest.

Snoke stood slowly, his curved wand held loosely at his side as he gave Ben a sympathetic, almost fatherly, look. "I had such hopes for you. You're not a traitor, Ren."

Ben held Rey's wand out as he turned to expose only his side to Snoke. He swallowed, and the profile of his prominent Adam's apple bobbed. "You shouldn't've targeted Rey. You shouldn't've ordered the death of my father!"

"I opened your eyes to the evils Han Solo committed." Snoke took a step toward Ben but stopped as the taller man thrust the wand forward threateningly. "You can still follow in Vader's footsteps. Don't you remember what he did for Palpatine? You're just like him. He helped maintain _order, _Kylo Ren."

Ben stiffened. He stared unblinkingly at Snoke for several long moments as the twisted man nodded slowly. "Good. You remember our talks. Your training." He stepped closer to Ben, his voice low. "It's time to shed Ben Solo. Fight with me."

The curved wand raised lazily, and Ben blinked slowly, as if entranced by something he could not see. Rey shook her head and threw out her hand in horror. "Ben. No!"

Ben jumped slightly and looked to her before following the line of Snoke's wand. It pointed at Organa, who was slowly getting off the couch. Rey swore she saw something in Ben visibly snap. He ripped Snoke's wand from the gnarled hand and rammed his elbow into the flattened nose. Snoke howled, and Ben threw him to the floor.

Blood dripped down the pale face as Snoke stared up at Ben. "You can't kill me. You know you can't. I made you who you are. I'm the only one who cared for you."

Ben looked up, his eyes meeting those of Organa, Finn, and Poe before resting on Rey's. "They care."

He broke eye contact with Rey and raised the curved wand before bringing it down and into Snoke's chest. Poe jumped and looked away, but Rey kept her eyes on Ben. The wand had cracked upon impact, but it lodged deep into Snoke. She vaguely wondered if he regretted fashioning his wand like a pointed talon.

She had seen more than her fair share of violence in the foster homes, and she recognized the muscle relaxation as the life left Snoke's body.

Ben's hand did not ease up on the grip around the wand, and his eyes seemed glued to the dead man's face. Rey and Organa both knelt next to him, and Organa's hand pressed against the side of his face gently. "Ben?"

She wrapped her arms around him, and Ben melted into her embrace as if he was as small child. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… Father… He…"

Organa's expression tightened in sorrow, but she did not let go of her son. "I know."


	13. Chapter 13

Rey picked at the sausage on the golden plate, half-heartedly cutting it into progressively smaller pieces with the side of her fork. Despite the sunlight flowing in through the tall windows and the enchanted ceiling, the mood in the Great Hall felt somber. The chatter that accompanied breakfast seemed muted, and Rey knew the strange numbness in her mind was only a small factor of that. Students were conspicuously missing at their usual seats with their groups of friends, and the Slytherin table looked especially bare without the mass of their Quidditch team taking up the space by the fireplace.

The familiar call of owls made Rey's head jump up to the ceiling. Beebee had not returned from St. Mungo's Hospital, but she doubted she would be able to catch his strange orange feathers through the throng of birds that fought for a space to fly through the owl window. The past week had seen an influx of letters from concerned parents, and many of those parents had appeared at meal times as they arrived to ensure their children were all right. Rey had witnessed Professors Kanata and Ackbar consoling a few grieving witches and wizards in the Entrance Hall.

Her eyes followed the birds as they broke away from the mass of feathers to their respective recipients. Down the table, Jessika Pava untied a small parcel from a tawny owl. White bandages wrapped around her left hand from a burn curse that Madam Kalonia had claimed could not be magically healed. She knew bandages covered Finn's calf from the same curse.

"Hey buddy!" Poe's cheerful voice ripped Rey's eyes from Jessika. Beebee chirped a greeting and ruffled his feathers as Poe took a letter from his leg. Finn pushed his goblet of water toward the owl.

Rey leaned forward, barely resisting the urge to reach across the table and snatch the parchment from Poe's hand. "Did Ben write back?"

Poe unfurled the parchment, his eyes flicking over the writing. "No. From my mum." He met her confused look. "She's helping coordinate everyone who's at St. Mungo's because of what happened at the Ministry and Hux Manor."

Disappointment settled in Rey's stomach, and she went back to poking her cut sausages with her fork. She pierced a piece with the tongs and stabbed a few more without bothering to put any in her mouth. The buzzing of student chatter seemed to grow louder around them, and Rey felt irritation rise in her chest. Why were they all acting as if classes and drama with friends were the most important things in life? Han Solo was dead. A professor had manipulated students into trying to take over the wizarding world – and probably the Muggle world, too. The _Daily Prophet _had been happily broadcasting all of the personal details of the Skywalker extended family, with special gleeful interest in Ben and his lineage with Vader.

"Whoa. Rey, look." Rey grunted something and poked another piece of sausage. Finn's foot nudged hers under the table. "Rey."

She sighed and looked up. Her fork dropped onto the plate with a clatter. A man cloaked in brown robes that billowed behind him strode up between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. A thick grey and white beard covered most of his face. Professor Organa flanked him, her short height almost comical next to the man and the broad frame of her son next to her.

Rey heard Poe mutter something about Luke Skywalker, but she kept her eyes on Ben. His shoulders curled in their usual slouch, but he walked with… confidence. Students watched their progress up to the staff table, and Ben met the gazes of those that blatantly stared at him, not with hostility but with an air of someone who would not stand for whispered criticisms.

Ben broke away from the other two as they reached the staff table and made a beeline for Rey. He gave a soft, pained smile and murmured softly, "Can we talk?"

Rey's leg swung in the air as she examined her wand. The bright sun twinkled off the wood, highlighting the various fingerprints that covered the surface. The simple design was familiar; it had been a part of her for six years, but now it felt… _strange. _As if it had gone on a long trip and changed. She held it out to Ben. "I don't think it's mine anymore."

He took it slowly, holding it delicately in his big Beater's hands as he stared at it with an unreadable expression. "It feels more… friendly than mine ever did." He gave a confused look. "Does that even make sense?"

Rey smiled softly and nodded. "You blocked a Killing Curse – multiple Killing Curses – with it. I think it likes you better than me."

Ben shook his head and held the wand out again. "But what about you?"

Rey shrugged and looked down at her broom. They hovered just a few metres from Hogwart's Quidditch pitch. The handle of her old broom needed a polishing. "I imagine Phasma won't need hers anytime soon. I can use it until I can visit Huyang." She silently wondered if she had enough sickles left to even pay the ancient wandmaker.

Rey put her hand on Ben's arm. "Hux said you would've been more powerful had you not been using your grandfather's wand. Finn did some reading on wands… I think mine choose you after you protected me with it. I think it's why you were able to deflect the curse. Why you said all your spells felt easier to cast."

Ben's brown eyes searched her face. They still had a certain shyness to them, but they were somehow sharper now. More confident despite the pain of what had happened just a week previously. He hunched over the sleek black of his broomstick. "I didn't want to kill her. I… I didn't mean to…"

"I know." Rey pressed a kiss to the side of Ben's face. "But she would've killed you. And me." She curled Ben's fingers around her former wand. "It's yours."

"Thank you." Ben examined the wand for a moment and met her gaze again. "For… getting me out. No one noticed what Snoke was doing to me. _I _didn't notice."

Rey nodded slowly. "Can I ask you something?" At his nod, she continued carefully, "Why did you kill him like that? You had the power to cast a curse." The _Prophet _had printed wild speculations on Snoke's death, mostly hinting at a mentally unhinged Ben.

Ben tucked his new wand into his Slytherin robes and turned his broom slightly to the left to prevent their drifting course from hitting one of the hoops. His eyes trained on the golden metal as he spoke, "He cast these… wards over himself. Wouldn't teach anyone else how to do it, but from what I understood, the spells protected him from offensive spells. That's why my mum's Stun didn't faze him." His expression did not look mournful, but rather it had a touch of hope to it. "He wasn't a Quidditch player. He didn't understand that physical force is just as powerful as magic."

Rey nodded, and their brooms drifted higher on the light wind as they fell into silence. She could see students milling about on the castle grounds, enjoying the warm spring weather next to the lake. "Who d'you think would've won the Cup?"

"Ravenclaw," Ben answered without hesitation. He glanced at her and let out a laugh, dispelling the serious tone between them that was more than the cancellation of the Quidditch Cup. "I'm serious! You lot were brilliant."

Rey smiled and pulled out Phasma's old wand to cast a Summoning Charm. "One-on-one game to decide whose House is the best?"

A Quaffle nudged her hands, and she put the wand away to hold the ball easily. The side of Ben's mouth twitched. "A Chaser against a Beater? Not entirely fair."

Rey shrugged and tossed the Quaffle up in the air to catch it again. "If you're afraid you'll lose…"

Ben's hand shot out between them and hit the Quaffle to knock it away from Rey before it could land back in her hands. He then leaned forward and shot toward the dimpled ball, catching it. Rey shouted a "hey!" that was more a laugh than annoyance. Ben glanced behind him, and Rey caught a glimpse of a wide smile on his face before he sped up.

Rey's old Cleansweep struggled to keep up with Ben's Nimbus as they pelted across the pitch, so she pulled out her wand and aimed a simple jinx at the ball tucked under his left arm. She dropped down low and caught it while turning back to the closer hoops.

"Foul!" she heard Ben yell from somewhere behind her. "Jinxes can't be used!"

Rey laughed and held the Quaffle against her stomach to protect it from a retaliating spell. "Ref hasn't said anything."

The wind whipped at her face as she neared the hoops. She knew Ben would be near enough to try a tackle, so she threw the Quaffle with all her might at the right hoop. Ben sped around her and managed to hit the flying red ball with his foot. It bounced off the pole of the middle hoop and fell toward the ground. Rey dived, her mind focused so much on catching the Quaffle that she did not notice Ben until they collided into each other. They crashed against the sandy portion around the hoops.

Ben groaned softly from next to Rey, and she froze. "Are you all right? Is your chest okay?"

He turned, his laugh growing louder. "Yeah, yeah. It's fine." He carded a hand through his hair and shook his head. "I don't think the one-on-one thing is going to work. We're too competitive not to break every rule."

"Then you'll just need more players." Rey sat up to see Finn and Poe both holding their broomsticks over their shoulders. Poe flashed a wide grin. "Some of the Gryffindor players saw your pathetic attempts at a game."

Rey accepted Ben's offered hand to help her up and brushed the sand off her robes. "We were just working out how to play with one member teams."

Finn snorted. "'Teams.' I think we can help you actually use that word correctly."

He gestured with his broom behind him. Players from every House team, except Slytherin, filed onto the field clutching brooms from old school-owned Comets and Cleansweeps to Nimbuses. Two younger students carried out the rattling chest that held the Bludgers and the Snitch. As they crowded around each other, Rey noticed two more people following up the group of players.

Organa gestured at the bearded man beside her. "Luke wants to ref, seeing as you two already are inclined to break the rules." She gave a bright smile that seemed to be reserved for Ben alone and held up her broom. "But I thought Slytherin deserved a little more representation on the field. We can't have everyone thinking we're _all_ megalomaniacs."

* * *

Their impromptu inter-House Quidditch game drew a crowd as the afternoon wore on. Too many players had shown up for traditional teams, and after a chaotic hour of trying to play teams of ten, they switched out players every once in a while. Those on the sidelines cheered their team on, even those who had stared at Ben in the Great Hall happily yelled as he sped toward a Bludger.

Leia, as she insisted everyone who fought at Hux Manor call her, turned out to be a surprisingly adept Chaser. It took all of Rey's skill to keep the Quaffle away from her, and even then, she and her fellow Chasers, one of her Ravenclaw teammates and Jessika Pava, fell for her tricks and experience.

The sun reflected off the lake as it began to slide below the horizon. Luke called a time-out to switch out players, and Rey flew to the edge to let one of the Hufflepuff Chasers take her place. Ben handed his Beater's bat to a Ravenclaw Beater before he hovered next to her. His purple robes – they had magically dyed the robes of their team to avoid confusion – waved in the wind as he ran a hand through his tousled hair.

The mob of black and purple robed Chasers raced by as the game continued. Rey vaguely wondered if the Snitch had even been released, or if Finn and other Seeker who Rey did not know well were purposely extending the good-natured game.

"Hey," Ben's low voice murmured beside her. He gave her a soft smile, his brown eyes light in the setting sun. "Thank you."

Ben rested a hand against Rey's neck and pulled her close to press his lips against hers.

**AN: And there you have it, folks. Thank you so much for reading and commenting! If you're so inclined, please check out my other Reylo fics centered in the Star Wars universe. **


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